This isn't the first time America has been stricken with the "anti-Washington" fever that inspired the GOP's "Pledge to America," says Republican strategist Frank I. Luntz in The Washington Post. It was just as "virulent" in 1994, when voters were similarly concerned about "sickening government spending" and "repulsive corruption." Back then, the GOP responded with the "Contract with America" and won a landslide victory in the midterm elections. The two documents have their differences, but the Pledge is well-positioned to achieve similar success. Here, an excerpt:
Ultimately, of course, the success of the Pledge will be determined not by the results on Election Day, but by what happens afterward. Still, there's a simple lesson for both parties: The American people aren't just mad as hell. This time, they're truly not going to take it anymore. They'll keep changing their government until their government really changes. So credit Republicans for putting their Pledge on paper. Now, they will be held accountable to the standard they've set for themselves — and it's a good one.
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