Why the Republicans in Congress Should be Shaking in Their Boots

Probably the biggest story to come out of Tuesdays elections was not Hillary Clinton's blowout win in West Virginia (which was not a surprise). It was the election of Travis Childers of Mississippi to the U.S. House of Representatives in a special election to fill the vacancy caused by the resignation of Roger Wicker, who was appointed to the U.S. Senate to fill the vacancy caused by the resignation of Senator Trent Lott (geez, what a mouth full).

Counting Childers' win, the Democrats have now won three straight special elections for Congressional seats previously held by Republicans (the first two being Bill Foster's election to Dennis Hastert's seat in Illinois, and Don Cazayoux's election to Richard Baker's seat in Louisiana). These victories come in places where Democrats aren't supposed to win. This backs up Barack Obama's argument that this coming election is like no previous election. The RNC tried to nationalize the special election by running an ad connecting Childers to Obama and Jeremiah Wright. This was to no avail, however. But why?

There's a simple answer. People are hungry for change, and, even though the Republicans are in the minority in the House, they are still seen as part of the problem. The fate of the Republican members of Congress, by and large, are tied to the failed policies of the Bush administration and the disastrous Iraq war.

Barack Obama will be carried into office for the same reasons. John McCain represents the past and is seen as an extension of George W. Bush (contrary to the people who argue that he's a "maverick." He's no maverick, people). That sucking sound you hear every time Barack Obama utters the phrase "George Bush's third term," is some more potential McCain voters going down the toilet.