Is the GOP Better Off in the Minority?

There is a growing possibility that Republicans could retake the House in November's midterm elections. But how would the GOP handle a transition from minority obstructionists to majority legislators? Poorly, argues Salon's Mike Madden. As counterintuitive as it is, Madden argues Republicans are actually better off in the minority, where they can get political points for being the 'Party of No.' "Campaigning against an unsettling status quo or a broken Washington is a lot easier than running the place once you get there," he cautions.

The biggest challenge for a GOP-held House might be to maintain its already tenuous alliance with the Tea Party, whose wrath could quickly shift to the right if Republicans become the party in power.

Finding common ground with a movement that's screaming "No!" to President Obama's agenda, after all, is fairly easy to do for a Republican Party that is growing comfortable with the "Party of No" label that the White House is trying to stick it with. Finding common ground with that movement once the GOP has to advance a legislative agenda of its own might be tougher.

A more positive view of the GOP's ability to transition into power comes from a cover story in Newsweek, which outlines how Republicans plan to tackle key foreign and domestic issues in the event that they take back the House.

So, is the GOP better off as the minority party?