What If Democrats Win?

Nov. 7, 2006 — -- This midterm election there's a big "what if" on the minds of many Americans. When the results are in, what if Democrats take control of the House, the Senate or both?

According to ABC News chief Washington correspondent George Stephanopoulos, that question hangs over Republican leaders this morning.

"For the first time last night, Republican strategists were conceding to me that they could lose the House," Stephanopoulos said. "The Senate is anyone's guess at this point."

Republicans hope that political ads criticizing the Democrats' Iraq policies will give right-leaning voters such severe chills, they'll rush to the polls.

"What if you woke up a year from today ... the Democrats have taken over ... see every dollar you lose ... 24 trillion in tax increases," cautions one Republican ad.

But Rep. Nancy Pelosi, who would become the first woman speaker of the House if the Democrats prevail, said the reality of a Democratic-controlled House isn't bleak at all.

"We would make our country safer, we would make our economy fairer, make college more affordable, health care more accessible. We would move toward energy independence," Pelosi said.

While Democrats may not be able to enact wide-scale change without control of the Senate and the White House, they can push for certain reforms.

"The Democrats are going to push for a minimum wage, re-importation of prescription drugs and a number of inquiries into Bush policies, whether it's Iraq, post-Katrina cleanup or domestic surveillance," said Roll Call political analyst Stuart Rothenberg.

Pelosi has made one absolute pledge, perhaps with an eye toward helping a Democrat win the White House in 2008.

"We have taken impeachment off the table," she said at a recent press briefing, referring to past talk about impeaching President Bush.

According to Rothenberg, she's leading her party in the right direction.

"The way to win the White House is not to come out with both barrels blazing and try to impeach the president," he said. "So I think you're going to see a surprisingly pragmatic Nancy Pelosi and Democratic majority in the House."