As we look ahead to the so-called "fiscal cliff" negotiation, it's instructive to consider what the Republicans would do if they were in our position, with all the momentum and the leverage.

Here's a brief thought experiment: imagine that a Republican president had just been elected with 332 electoral votes and a 51% to 48% popular vote, and that his party had gained two seats to strengthen their Republican majority in the Senate. Meanwhile, the only branch of government still controlled by Democrats was the House, where Democrats had lost ground while still managing to retain control of that Chamber.