GOP Tells Dems to'Change Course' —They Shouldn't

Following the midterm elections, the Republicans have made it clear what they think Democrats should do: “Change course,” as John Boehner said on election night and Mitch McConnell said two days later. And maybe they’re right, writes William Saletan in Slate: “When voters strip you of your majority and seem to reject your philosophy in exit polls, maybe you should change course.” There’s just one problem: It's bad advice.

In the last two elections the GOP lost a total of 51 House seats and 13 Senate seats—not to mention the presidency. Voters in those elections made it clear they weren’t happy with government’s course—so the Republicans must have changed it, right? “Don't be silly. They did just the opposite. They stuck to their principles and rejected partisan interpretations of the election,” and by doing so they ended up winning in 2010. So here’s the lesson, Democrats: “Republicans think they beat you in 2010 by refusing to bend after 2008. Now they're trying to con you into doing the opposite. It's a clever sales job. But I wouldn't buy the product.”
(More midterm elections stories.)