In his analysis piece “Democrats Are Lost in the Shuffle While GOP Holds All the Cards” the Los Angeles Times’ Ron Brownstein writes:

“On almost every major question in Washington today, the choice isn't whether to move in a Republican or Democratic direction, but how far in a Republican direction to move.”

The obvious advantage for conservatives is having our agenda advanced, even if only in incremental stages. Though, as Brownstein points out, there are limits to government control. President Bush and Congress have seen their approval ratings drop recently as a public not nearly as unified as the respective political parties vents its frustrations on those elected to lead.

On the Democrat side, Brownstein argues the biggest problem facing the left may not simply be their lack of institutional power. It’s the lack of strong minds and coherent voices to develop and sell liberal ideas:

“It's like watching a baseball game where one team is always at bat, or a basketball game where one team always has the ball. The best Democrats can do is hold down the Republican score; the Democrats have found virtually no opportunities to advance their own ideas or to steer the discussion onto their strongest terrain.”