With one election cycle barely behind us, the politicians and the media are looking anxiously ahead to the next election. The Republicans are anxious because they lost the last one (big time!) and it looks like they might lose even more. The Democrats are anxious because they have racked up the lowest approval ratings in the history of polls and since being elected they have accomplished absolutely none of their promises (which I think is a good thing—I’m inclined to vote for any politician who can manage to get the government to do less).

I have no experience in advising politicians and no one is listening to or reading me of any political note that I know of, but I think I could solve the problem for one of the parties (but maybe not both). Here it is:

I think if either party would stand for something, they’d sweep through the elections like the Rockies through the Phillies (and Diamondbacks).

Look what happened the last two times this was tried. Back in ’94, the Republicans rallied around the “Contract with America” and—whether you agree with it or not is not the point of this blog—they swept both houses. Then, they fulfilled enough of it that it energized their base and gave them gains in the next several elections. Last fall, the Democrats coalesced around two central themes (end the war, and “anybody but Bush”) and rode them to a victory at least as impressive as Cleveland’s recent triumph over the Yankees. The fact that in the first ten months of their reign they have done nothing on either promise is what’s making their approval ratings fade like the Mets’ playoff hopes.

If the Republicans were to rally around some specific themes (with specifics, not just banalities) like Prosecuting the War in Iraq to Victory; Ending the Capital Gains Tax; and Reigning in Spending (again, with specifics) I think they could take back both houses of Congress as well as keep (or reclaim, depending on which Republicans you ask) the White House. As much as I hate to admit it (or give them ideas, but they’re not reading me anyway), if the Democrats rallied around a core of ideas like Extend SCHIP; Bring the Troops Home; and Raise Taxes on Everyone (So As To Be Fair) I think they could sweep the elections and, if they followed through, their base would be energized and they’d do even better on the next go-round. (As a staunch conservative I think these policies would eventually lead us into trouble, but I think the short-term gain for the Democrats would be enormous.)