- When one party controls both houses of Congress, that party will become giddy with power and over-reach.
- When one party reaches minority status in both houses, that party resorts to tactics it previously condemned ("nuclear option").
- It gets ugly when one party controls Congress, and another party controls the White House.
The most recent example is Bush 43 + Democrats, but that is only the latest example.
Typical results from this sort of situation:
- An orgy of hearings.
- A raft of long-delayed "red meat for the base" bills will be passed in short order.
- Political theatre raised one level: Congress will pass bills it knows the President will veto (and knows cannot achieve a veto override).
- A 2-house minority party becomes the obstructionist Party Of No.
A party flush with power simply cannot resist over-reach. Democrats and Republicans both have proven this true time and again.
As such, we must consider timing. GOP won the mid-terms, giving them two years to over-reach before the 2016 general election. Voters will be tired of the over-reach, and the pendulum will swing back.
Predicted result: Democrats take the White House in 2016.
If the 2014 mid-term elections had been the 2016 election, we would be looking at a full sweep, with GOP in House, Senate and White House.
Losing could be the best thing Democrats did for themselves in 2014.
P.S. Secondary prediction: ACA will not be repealed. ACA repeal bill will be voted upon, but will not make it to the President's desk.