Panelists say that Republicans will undoubtedly take the House in 2010 mid-term elections

A panel of Republican activists expressed confidence that the 2010 mid-term elections will be good ones for their party. Bryon York, Jim Geraghty, and Patrick Ruffini, along with moderator Professor Christopher Malagisi, discussed their prediction for the November elections, and what the Republican Party should focus on if they take the majority in the House of Representatives.

All panelists said that they were confident that Republicans would gain control of the House of Representatives after mid-term elections. “This win would be huge for Republicans and a natural disaster for Democrats,” said Ruffini. “I am predicting a 57 member victory for us in the House.” Ruffini said that he is not sure if his party will also take majority in the Senate.

Recent controversies however – including the witchcraft accusations of Rep. Christine O’Donnel (R- Del.) and racial insensitivities of Rep. Carl Paladino (R – N.Y.) – have slowed Republican momentum in some states. Since September 14, Democrats have taken leads in Delaware and New York, while GOP leads narrowed in Pennsylvania, Maine, Ohio and Illinois.

Nonetheless, these setbacks in the Midwest and Northeast did not change opinions of the conservative panelists. With fiery rhetoric and talks of a “Republican Revolution,” the panelists said they are unhappy with decisions made by the current Democratic representatives in the House and Senate. “Americans are fed up with the Democrats’ bad decisions and broken promises,” said Geraghty.

If the Republican Party takes the majority in the House of Representatives, the question then becomes – which political issue should be dealt with first? York said that he thinks Republicans should focus on spending, starting with a reduction of federal salaries.

American University student and Republican Party member, Kate Froehlich, agreed with York. “They (Republicans) really need to focus on jobs and the economy,” said Froehlich. Panelists Geraghty and Ruffini said that in addition to the economy, the recent health care bill – which they referred to as “Obama Care” – must be repealed. Geraghty said that for an amendment to happen in health care, a republican president need be in office; but, repealing the bill is the first step to creating a bipartisan law.

Scott Marturano, American University student and Democratic Party member, said that he thought the panel spent too much time “bashing Democrats,” but he agrees that Republicans will likely take majority of the House. “If they (Republicans) take the House, it will make the president fight for what he wants,” he said. “Though I support the Democratic Party, I think that a republican House majority may end-up a good thing for our country.”

Green Party member Alyssa Myers had a similar reaction to the panel. “A Republican takeover will not be the best for me or the Green Party, but I do think that it will add some balance so that spending will be less extreme,” she said. Myers also said however, that she is concerned by the “us” (Republicans) versus “them” (Democrats) mentality of the panelists.

The entire discussion was dominated by conservative activism. “The Republican Party has not seen a better environment than we’ve seen this year,” said Geraghty. “I have the mentality that we are going to ‘beat the heck out of you.’ I want all Republicans to expect to win.”

Meet the moderator and panelists:
· Christopher Malagisi is President of the Young Conservatives Coalition (YCC), a young conservative leadership organization whose goal is to organize the next generation of the conservative movement. He is also a political science professor at American University.
· Bryon York is The Washington Examiner’s chief political correspondent. He also blogs throughout the week at Beltway Confidential.
· Jim Geraghty is a regular contributor to the National Review Online and National Review. Geraghty is the author of Voting to Kill: How 9/11 Launched the Era of Republican Leadership, which argues that national security during high level terrorist threat is the chief issue in U.S. politics.
· Patrick Ruffini is a founder and partner at Engage, a political media firm, where he helps political affairs clients to navigate the shifts in today’s media landscape. In 2008, Ruffini was named a “Rising Star in American Politics” by Campaigns and Elections’ Politics magazine.