The stakes for Democrats could be just as high this year as they were for the GOP 24 years ago. GOP gains in Congress this year of a magnitude similar to the ones Democrats made after Watergate could seriously cripple any Democratic president, whether it be Clinton or Vice President Gore. All 435 House as well as 34 Senate seats and 36 governorships are on the ballot this year. Until last week, political analysts thought the GOP would do well in the Senate races, but they didn't think it was possible for the Republicans to gain a substantial number of House seats. In fact, there was talk of Democrats gaining the 11 seats needed to win back the House.
All bets are off now.
Until now, Clinton has been a major help to his party. He is a master campaigner, possibly able to make a difference in close races. But Democratic candidates might be wary of appearing on the same platform with him in light of the scandal. He has helped attract women's votes to the party, but if female voters are mad at Clinton, they might take it out on Democrat candidates. Voters already cynical about politics might be further turned off and not vote, perhaps giving the GOP an added edge.