Losing by Losing

IF John McCain wins the election, he should send Rahm Emanuel a thank-you note. If the congressman had not succeeded in engineering a Democratic takeover of Capitol Hill in 2006, McCain would have very little shot at winning the presidency.

Instead, he would be running to extend Republican dominance of a sour and angry country. The argument about drilling would be playing out very differently. High gas prices would still make energy policy the top issue in the election, but if Republicans had narrow majorities in Congress, they would be responsible for doing something about it-and they probably would not have the strength to pass a bill. Precisely because they cannot do much about it now, it is, paradoxically, easier for them to get a hearing for their argument, and thus move public opinion.

About the Author

Ramesh Ponnuru

Ramesh Ponnuru is the editor of National Review, a columnist for the Washington Post, and a fellow at the American Enterprise Institute.

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IF John McCain wins the election, he should send Rahm Emanuel a thank-you note. If the congressman had not succeeded in engineering a Democratic takeover of Capitol Hill in 2006, McCain would have very little shot at winning the presidency.

Instead, he would be running to extend Republican dominance of a sour and angry country. The argument about drilling would be playing out very differently. High gas prices would still make energy policy the top issue in the election, but if Republicans had narrow majorities in Congress, they would be responsible for doing something about it-and they probably would not have the strength to pass a bill. Precisely because they cannot do much about it now, it is, paradoxically, easier for them to get a hearing for their argument, and thus move public opinion.