The 2014 midterm elections are six days away. With the GOP likely to keep its majority in the House of Representatives and win control of the Senate, the tide seems to be turning in favor of the Republicans.

Controlling Congress gives the GOP the opportunity to pass moderately conservative legislation that will force President Barack Obama to be in the hot seat. This opportunity needs to be taken advantage of in a united and poised way in order to give Republicans the needed momentum leading up to the 2016 presidential election.  

The possibility of Republicans being in the driver’s seat is no guarantee.  First, they have to take control of the Senate by picking up six seats from the Democrats. Fivethirtyeight.com puts the chances of the GOP winning control of the Senate at 63 percent. Assuming that this prediction is accurate, the next step is for the GOP to not waste time bickering about interparty divisions and present a united image.

These divisions will probably play out as most people expect: tea party conservatives vs. establishment moderates. The tea party and other hardline conservatives will see winning the Senate as an opportunity to advance a truly conservative policy agenda. They will also attempt to make Obama seem like the enemy of getting things done due to his inevitable and consistent vetoes.

The problem with this strategy is that the Democrats could easily spin the situation to make Obama seem like the good guy.  Depending on how conservative the legislation is, Obama can easily veto in the name of preventing extreme policy.

Imagine if Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX), a potential 2016 presidential hopeful, proposed a flat income tax.  Assuming its passage through the House and the Senate, Obama could easily veto this bill by citing that it does not force rich Americans to pay their fair share. This proposed policy would result in Obama looking like a hero for not allowing Republicans to give tax breaks to millionaires while also pinning Cruz and the rest of the GOP as extremists who only care about the rich.

Another, more effective strategy would be to take up a more moderate policy agenda with establishment conservatives leading the charge. This strategy would be more effective because it would be difficult for Obama to defend his decisions to veto. He would not be able to play the extreme card because the legislation would be moderate by nature.

If Obama keeps vetoing bills that can be sold as common sense conservative solutions to problems facing the average American, then it is easy to blame the president for preventing progress in tackling problems in the U.S.

Imagine if Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) proposed a piece of legislation that would expand the earned income tax credit for low-income families. If Obama vetoes the bill, then he appears to be against helping low-income Americans. If he signs the bill into law, Ryan, another potential presidential hopeful in 2016, will be seen as a compassionate conservative who fights for the poor while also scoring points in the bipartisanship arena for proposing a bill that Obama could agree to.  

Putting the pressure on Obama with moderate and effective policies forces the Democrats to pick their poison: either play hardball and risk a tarnished brand in the lead up to 2016 or let the Republicans have their way and risk giving momentum to the GOP presidential hopefuls.

Moderate conservatism tends to produce effective policy that, in this case, makes sense politically. A huge opportunity is on the horizon for Republicans to repair their damaged image in the lead up to 2016. Fumbling the congressional football could result in disaster for 2016. C’mon GOP, let’s score a touchdown.

Chris Pulliam is a sophomore policy studies and political

science major. His column

appears weekly. He can be reached at [email protected].

Published on October 29, 2014 at 12:01 am