Former Reagan Aide Devine: GOP Should Focus on Senate

Conservatives should set their sights on the Senate during the 2012 election rather than the presidency, says Donald Devine, director of President Ronald Reagan’s Office of Personnel Management. That’s because presumptive GOP nominee Mitt Romney is a bumbling candidate and will receive plenty of money from establishment Republicans in any case, says Devine, editor of ConservativeBattleline Online.

“There is only one rational conclusion for conservatives: they must focus their resources on Congress,” Devine writes on Politico. “Even if Obama is re-elected — heaven forbid — Congress has the power to check what he does.”

With Republicans already holding a majority in the House, the advantages of incumbency should be enough to maintain control, Devine says. If not, “conservatives are doomed anyway. So the strategic focus must be on the Senate,” he writes.

“While Obama keeps running against a do-nothing Republican Congress, the fact remains that the House passes many bills, but things get bottled up in the Democratic Senate.”

Republicans hold advantages for the Senate races, Devine says. The GOP needs only a net gain of three seats to gain control. Democrats have 21 seats to defend, compared to only 10 for Republicans.

Nine states will likely decide who is in charge of the Senate, Devine says. “There are six toss-ups and three leaning-Democratic states that conservatives must win. The six are Missouri, Montana, North Dakota, Nevada, Virginia, and Wisconsin. The three are Florida, Michigan, and Ohio.”