We can't afford to sit on our hands and assume anything. From Craig Crawford writing in "Congressional Quarterly":
http://www.cq.com/public/crawford.html Oftentimes in politics, the name of the game is expectations, a time-honored strategy of boosting your opponent’s momentum, whether real or imagined, while downplaying your own chances. You hope to frighten your supporters into working hard for you, encourage your foes to sit on their laurels and set the stage for a stunning comeback on the eve of Election Day.
When it comes to gaming expectations for the coming congressional elections, President Bush and his party could be winning by losing. It’s like a roller coaster speeding downhill to gain enough force to get back on top. Oddly, Republican operatives do not dispute dire predictions of the party’s fate in November, forsaking their usual display of the skill, which well serves any good politician, to boldly assert confidence whether or not it is justified.
Such acquiescence in the prevailing view of a GOP meltdown suggests that there is a strategy afoot — one that, in the end, could sandbag overconfident Democrats and those in the news media who foresee dramatic change in the making. Still, the Republicans do not have much choice. They are doing what they can to make the best of a truly bad situation.
Much more at the link.
Rest assured, folks, the fundies, chickenhawks, and wealthy still want control.
(I didn't have time to check if this was a dupe. If it is, let me know and I'll delete it.)