El Questiono

[Charles Fiterman]

At 03:06 AM 11/9/98 -0500, you wrote:
>
>    Can anybody tell me why the president's party always (historically
>speaking) loses seats at the polls in an off-year?  Why is this?
>
>    How would say, a party-list at-large system or other electoral reform
>change this, if at all?

People in power have a chance to screw up and having screwed up they
do worse in the next election.

Imagine you are a candidate at a news conference and 
someone asks "How do you feel about smuf control?"

You have no strong opinions on the subject but if
you say that you will make enemies on both sides of
this vital issue. If you take a side you will make
enemies on one side of the issue. Not being a complete
idiot you evade. "Smurf control is one of the vital
issues facing our nation. An issue of great import
yada yada yada"

So you are elected and Congress passes a smurf control
bill. Now you are going to make enemies and they will
show it at the congressional election.