Don't expect much real change in November

It’s been almost four years since President Barack Obama ran a brilliant and successful campaign based on the promise of change. America was ready for a new leader and a new Congress that would tackle the problems of the day and get Washington moving again after years of gridlock.

The president and most members of Congress are in the waning days of their terms in office. Members of the House spend most of their time passing bills that will never pass the Senate. The Senate is tied in knots thanks to a Republican minority that pledged from day one to make sure that the president served only one term. In Washington, every day is Groundhog Day.

In the months ahead, both Obama and challenger Mitt Romney will attempt to sell the message that, come 2013, things in the nation’s capital are going to be different. But try as hard as they might, nothing is going to change. Nothing would change even if Mother Theresa were running the country.

America is in for four more years of gridlock because nothing radical is going to happen this November. Let’s start with the U.S. Senate. There’s a strong chance that Democrats will lose control of that body by the slimmest of margins. If it’s 50-50, then the vice president will be able to cast the deciding vote on important legislation. If either party controls the Senate by one or two votes, nothing will get done.

The next Senate will look somewhat different for the worst of all reasons. Instead of electing new senators who are experienced in the art of compromise and want the country to move forward, many of the new Republican members will be far more conservative than the current group.

States like Indiana, Nebraska and Texas will be sending new members to Washington who have been elected with Tea Party support. They have pledged to vote for no new taxes and are intent on shutting down the government the first chance they get. The current Senate minority leader, Mitch McConnell, will probably be challenged for his leadership spot by the far right members who covet his job.