The Republicans’ pledge is a conservative document in two senses: Its policies and rhetoric are mostly conservative and worthwhile. It is also conservative in the sense of being averse to political risk. Whether it struck the right balance between the two remains to be seen based on voter reaction (let’s not forget that even the Contract with America’s electoral impact remains open to be debate). It strikes me as a sign that the Republicans are prudent about doing what it takes to gain the majority, but the jury is still very much out on how well that majority would govern.
