Page "Realigning election" Paragraph 34

** On the other hand, critics like Mayhew ( 2004 ) note that control of the House did not change, nor even come close to changing, at this time.

Republicans actually held fewer House seats in 1983 than they held in 1973.

In addition, the Republicans lost the Senate again only six years later, leading some to conclude that the Senators simply rode in on Reagan's coattails, and did not represent a true shift in the ideological preferences of their constituents.

Also absent was a shift in partisan alignment from public opinion polls.

Both liberals, such as Nobel laureate Paul Krugman, and conservatives, such as MSNBC political pundit, Nixon administration political advisor and Reagan administration Communications Director Pat Buchanan, would also argue that Nixon ’ s victory in 1968 set the stage for Reagan ’ s victory, and the fact that Reagan did so well in Southern states, traditionally a Democratic stronghold, as well as the fact that some of Reagan ’ s rhetoric involving law and order and states ’ rights seemed to mirror Nixon ’ s Southern Strategy seem to bear this fact out.