Republicans are have a “very good chance” of taking back control of the House of Representatives in the 2010 midterm elections, House Minority Whip Eric Cantor (R-Va.) said this week.
Cantor said concerns about Democratic control of the White House and both houses of Congress have driven Americans to increasingly back GOP candidates.
“The country feels better when there’s a check and a balance,” Cantor said in an interview with the conservative PajamasTV website. “That’s why I think the Republicans in the House are poised to have a very good chance of taking back the House. It’s the only chance to provide that check and balance.”
Political prognosticators have forecast likely Republican gains in 2010, though few have predicted the Republicans picking up the 40 or more House seats necessary to wrest control from Democrats, who have been in charge since the 2006 elections.
“We have unfettered one-party rule. And part of what we’re seeing…is people are tired of the status quo and business as usual,” Cantor said. “People don’t want an unbalanced approach.”
The Virginia Republican said that Hollywood, usually considered a reliable Democratic base, could be an ally in rebuilding a Republican majority.
“It’s still easier to run against Hollywood as a Republican, because the image is out there that everyone is to the left of the left here,” Cantor explained. “But I know there are plenty of friends here, which is why we try and come here and say, ‘Listen, we need your help.'”