News Release

November 6, 2002

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National Political Mood Hands Congress Back to Republicans
Anti-government voters, not Bush, create serious implications for Democrats

WASHINGTON -- The Cato Institute's Center for Representative Government Director John Samples issued the following statement regarding yesterday's election results:

"Everyone is saying President Bush made the difference in the election. That's true to some extent. But people are missing the national mood and the effect it had on this election. The Republican victories were the culmination of an anti-government mood among the American people, a mood that has been growing for several years. Bush led the way last night, but he took America where it wanted to go.

"Election 2002 has big implications for the Democratic presidential hopes in 2004. This historic defeat will free up Tom Daschle and Richard Gephardt to run full-time for the presidency. That will have two consequences: First, it may mean a more crowded, longer, and potentially more divisive battle for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2004. Second, Daschle's and Gephardt's fundraising (along with Al Gore's and Joseph Lieberman's) will put more demand for hard money on a limited number of Democratic donors. The ultimate Democratic presidential nominee may end up seeking funding from an exhausted hard money donor base.

"Last night was not good for Democratic moderate candidates for the Senate. In close races, Carnahan, Cleland, and Mondale all lost while Landrieu came up short of a majority. Tom Harkin in Iowa, a strong left Democratic, won a race expected to be close. Last night was about getting out the Democratic base, and moderates clearly had trouble doing that."

Samples, editor of James Madison and the Future of Limited Government, is the author of two studies that delve deeper into the national political mood and the effect of campaign finance reform:

"Election 2002 and the Problems with American Democracy" (with Cato Senior Fellow Patrick Basham).

"Government Financing of Campaigns: Public Choice and Public Values".