Indeed, as tough as the Iraq story has been, the Saddam conviction reminds voters that President Bush's vision of overthrowing the jihadist totalitarian order is worth the fight. In terms of American values, U.S. security, and human-rights democracy improvements in the Mideast and around the world, victory in Iraq matters.
And finally we have President Bush's indefatigable campaigning on Iraq, homeland counterterrorism, low taxes and economic growth. Bush has been written off so many times by the mainstream media, but he keeps coming back -- standing tall, resolute and with an incredibly strong backbone of character.
Without question, Bush versus Kerry in the final days of the midterm campaign is a solid plus for Republicans who are cutting their deficits in key House races and reinforcing their hold on the Senate. But even if the Democrats capture the House, they will have done so with many pro-life, pro-business, pro-national-security "Blue Dogs" -- conservative Democrats who may deliver a 2006 post-election surprise.
Just as Ronald Reagan relied on conservative House Democrats to pass his key legislation on lower taxes, reduced domestic spending and a stronger defense -- thereby overthrowing the Tip O'Neill liberal Democrats with a functional majority that included 35 to 50 "Boll Weevil" votes -- George W. Bush should be able to reach across the aisle for Blue Dog support in the next two years. These Blue Dogs are not Pelosi Democrats.
Another post-election surprise just might come from the House Republicans: Mike Pence and his allies in the conservative Republican Study Group -- John Shadegg, Paul Ryan, Jeff Flake, Marsha Blackburn and others -- could stage a leadership revolt that will get House Republicans back on the messages of limited domestic spending, earmark reform, broad-based tax reform, expanded investor tax-free savings accounts and Social Security reform.
Put simply, while the Democrats may get a Pyrrhic victory in a six-year-itch close House win, in effect they will have suffered another substantial defeat. A lost opportunity with a losing message.