Reply #54: I'm not sure it was the fact that the dems were moving right

[Proud Liberal Dem]

that the Repukes took Congress in 1994. There were a variety of factors that led to them taking Congress but I don't remember THAT being one of them (or at least a major one). The main factors, as I recall, were:

1.)Repukes hadn't controlled both houses of Congress for several decades- people didn't know exactly what they would be getting but they wanted some kind of change and the Republicans- under Newt's *leadership*- seized on this.
2.)HEAVY, WIDESPREAD anti-government (anti-liberal) sentiment, particularly following Ruby Ridge, Waco, etc. that the Repukes latched on to and played up as much as possible.
3.)EXTREME animosity towards the Clintons that the Repukes and Rush had been stoking ever since the 1992 election.
4.)Enaction of gun control measures (i.e. Brady Bill, assault weapons ban) that brought out hard-core gun control opponents and the NRA against the Democrats.
5.)Southern re-alignment of the Republican Party (and some Democratic party-switching)
6.)Lots of scandals involving Democrats that year (kind of like what happened in 2006 to many Republicans)
7.)VERY energized Republican Party/conservative activists/religious right

While turnout among Democrats/progressives might have been lower as a result of some of Clinton's policies/failures during his first two years, turnout is traditionally lower during midterm elections and the corporate media (even sans Faux News) made sure that the Democrats were as demoralized as possible (and I see it may be happening again this year).