Why Obama Should Root for Republicans

How Presidents Benefit When Their Parties Fall

Should President Obama be rooting for Congressional Republicans this election season? History suggests as much.

Political analysts and consultants like to divine seismic shifts of allegiance every election cycle – “A new permanent Republican majority!” “No, wait, a historic generational lock for Democrats!” – but a core of the electorate since 1980 seems to have embraced the quintessentially American concept of checks and balances. We like divided government.

So should presidents. A succession of White Houses have mourned their party’s drubbing in midterm congressional elections, only to thrive thereafter. Ronald Reagan and …