With the GOP poised to take over the U.S. House, people will probably be looking for major changes in Washington.

Don’t expect a lot. The 2012 election will be much more exciting.

Probably the most interesting part will be the “lame duck” session after the election. The Democrats may go all in and try to pass more left-leaning legislation. It could be a big fight and something that political junkies may want to get a bowl of popcorn and sit down to watch.

After Tuesday, the Democrats will still control the White House for at least two more years. They will probably control the Senate, but with a smaller majority. You need 60 votes in the Senate and even when the Democrats could get 60 votes, they could not hold it together – and that was one of their major downfalls.

What we will see is probably more gridlock and nothing much accomplished. The Democrats and Obama can play it two ways. First, they could stay the course for the next two years governing to the left and hoping they can generate support from the left to get the President re-elected. Second, they could talk it up about the obstructionist GOPers in the House and hope they can win back the House in 2012 and garner some sympathy votes for 2012.

We will see a different Barack Obama; he is running for re-election.

As for GOP, if they take the House like all are predicting (I predict the GOP will win 51 seats in the House and six seats in the Senate) they must tread lightly. Like I said, 2012 is the “big show” in regards to control and overly aggressiveness by the GOP in the House could send the party down the drain for a few decades.

In the election in 2006, not many folks predicted that the GOP would be in this position after four years of Democrats controlling Congress and two years of controlling the White House.

Here in Montana, Senator Jon Tester is up for re-election in 2012. There will also be a presidential election and all the state-wide seats (including an open seat for Governor) will be up for election, too. There will be plenty of work for political folks. The Montana media should start boning up on politics.

Tester’s race will be a key for the national GOP to win back the majority in the U.S. Senate – so look for plenty of money to be thrown into the state. If Congressman Denny Rehberg decides to take on Tester, he would be the favorite. If some of the lesser known candidates try to run, the race to take out Tester will be much closer. The GOP so-called “Political Gods” in Helena must sort out the wannabe U.S. Senators in the state and put forth the candidate that can compete. They can’t let the race for Montana Governor be their only priority.

As for the Montana state legislative races today, with the ill feelings across the nation and in Montana about the Democrats, the Montana GOP should easily take control of the State House and Senate. Anything less must be called what it really is: failure. If the GOP does fail, the folks running the show in Helena should be given their walking papers. Times like this only come around once in a while.

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