Zelizer : The last midterm election that a president faces matters very much . Zelizer : If Senate gains control of Senate and retains control of House , its power increases . He says President Obama might turn into a lame-duck president with little clout . In the 1958 midterm elections , Democrats , who already controlled Congress , vastly increased the size of their majorities in both chambers . Zelizer : If anti-Communist lose the GOP in the 20th century , Obama will accomplish little .
Zelizer : The last midterm election that a president faces matters very much . Zelizer : If Senate gains control of Senate and retains control of House , its power increases . He says President Obama might turn into a lame-duck president with little clout . Zelizer : If anti-Communist lose the GOP in the 20th century , Obama will accomplish little .