What impact will the impeachment proceedings have on the 2000 elections, particularly those in the House and Senate? While the past year has proven that just about anything is possible, it doesn't appear at this point that the party of the impeached President has much to worry about. Gallup opinion polls conducted for CNN-USA Today indicate that favorability ratings for the Republican Party dropped from 50 percent in October of 1997 to 40 percent this month, while unfavorability ratings increased from 42 percent to 52 percent during that same period. Meanwhile, favorability ratings for the Democratic Party increased from 54 percent to 57 percent, while unfavorability ratings dropped from 39 percent to 35 percent. Other opinion polls show similar findings.
Republican strategists who expressed confidence just a month or two ago about GOP prospects in 2000 are considerably less sanguine today. While they know that the recent damage sustained by their party is not permanent, they are at a loss as to how Republicans might gain ground against Democrats any time soon.
Some analysts suggest that Senate Republicans will be
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