how a GOP Congress might help Obama

From Michael Medved at TownHall.com...

Medved makes good points here, but I would tweak it a bit:

-Obama would gain from having a Republican Congress because he could divert some/much of the blame for his failed policies.

-Obama would gain from having a Republican Congress since they would temper his approach-- at least to the extent that the GOP has any principles. Medved probably overstates this point, given the rudderless state of the GOP at this point (especially in comparison t0 1994).

The last 65 years of presidential history show one clear, consistent preference on the part of the American electorate: the public feels vastly more comfortable with divided government, and grows worried and disillusioned under one-party rule. This conclusion should shape political strategy for both Republicans and Democrats as the two parties prepare for an epic struggle in 2010....

What political magic allowed Ike, Reagan and Clinton to escape the dire fates of their colleagues and, despite their share of mistakes, scandals and personal failings, to conclude their two terms with potent public support that resembled their first months in office?

One crucial factor shared by the three fortunate White House survivors was that they all presided over eras of divided government with opposition parties controlling at least one house of Congress during most or all of their presidencies....

It's not an accident that all three of the most durably popular presidents of the last three generations have learned to cope with two-party rule...

This deep-seated American instinct expresses both common sense and Constitutional principles....

A Republican comeback a year from now wouldn't destroy the Obama presidency and it may, in fact, promise the best hope for saving it.