This is what he said at AEI today:

“We’re going to be just fine in the fall elections. And we’re going to be fine because we stand for things that are important. We stand for strong natural defense abroad and complete victory in the war on terrorism which involves victory in Iraq. “We stand for a strong national defense. We stand for economic policies that are pro-growth, involving tax cuts and free trade. We are strongly for fiscal restraint in the budget process. “And our opponents, at this point, stand for little or nothing, except mere obstructionism. Whether it is the nomination of superbly qualified men and women to the judiciary, or our policies to reauthorize the Patriot Act to keep America safe in a time of global terror, the other party seems to stand for little except obstructionism. “And ultimately, the American people are a center-right country, who, presented with a center-right party with center-right candidates, will vote center-right.”

I guess a lot of people today, many readers here, would say he is wrong, that the GOP isn’t going to be “just fine” in November. But I would also guess readers would agree this is a “center-right” country. Is it really the case that center-right voters are going to act in ways that ensure a center-left coalition takes over Congress in November and the White House in 2008? At least in 1992 conservatives could take some comfort in voting for Perot rather than Clinton. What comfort can they take this year? Against whom will they be revenge-not-voting if, say, their behavior helps lead to a situation in which not a single conservative judge will be placed on the bench for the following two years and possibly not until well into the second decade of the 21st century? Won’t we be taking revenge against ourselves and against the country we all want to see prosper and thrive?

These are actual questions. This is not a rhetorical posting.