Republicans are more likely to oust Obama if they don't appear obsessed with doing so

By Tim Montgomerie

As Pete Wehner has blogged, the GOP did very well among independents in last week's mid-terms:

"Independents comprised 28 percent of the electorate and supported Republican congressional candidates by a margin of 56 to 38 percent. That represents a 36-point turnaround from the last midterm election, in 2006, when independents supported Democratic congressional candidates by 57 to 39 percent. In addition, independents trust Republicans to do a better job than Democrats by a margin of 23 points on jobs and employment, 23 points on the economy, 27 points on government spending, and 31 points on taxes."

But how can we keep independents from heading back towards Obama in 2012?

John Zogby attempts a first answer to that question on Forbes today. He warns Republican legislators against a witch hunt against Obama:

"The widest disagreement among Tea Party supporters, all Republican voters and independents is on whether Congressional Republicans should launch “investigations into actions, policies and the legitimacy of the Obama Administration.” Republicans were split and 72% of independents oppose such inquiries; but 63% of Tea Party voters want Republicans to investigate all things Obama. Among the worst thing Republicans can do is be perceived as on a witch hunt against the President. Overt partisan investigations will be seen as just that, and more importantly a diversion from solving the nation’s problems."

Mitch McConnell may have spoken for millions of Republicans when he said "the single most important thing we want to achieve is for President Obama to be a one-term president" but Republican leaders need to lbe publicly focused on the practical concerns of moderate voters if they are to win the White House. One of the lessons of 1994 to 1996 was that voters will punish the Republicans if they become too partisan and confrontational.