What if he loses? imagining the consequences of a GOP victory.

• Position: What if Republicans win the 2012 presidential elections - Brief article

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It's a common complaint we've certainly made it over the years--that too much political campaign coverage focuses on the horse race. The packed debate schedule in the current COP nomination battle has put a bit more focus than usual on the substance of what the candidates are saying, which is good. But even so, most of this coverage has wound up being about whether a given policy position might help or hurt a candidate's chances of winning. What's most important has been left largely unexamined: if one of these candidates actually becomes president and advances his or her policies, what would be the consequences for the nation?

Part of the reason this question is seldom addressed is that it's genuinely hard to do; it requires thinking three steps ahead and accounting for numerous variables. But there's also a...