Republicans in Tennessee for the past two election cycles aimed at securing governing majorities in the state Senate and House of Representatives.

Sure, one objective was to shape policies immediately, going from Democratic Party dominance to a two-party approach. But the actual goal was the elections of 2010.

The next elections will set the stage for who will control drawing boundary lines for all state legislative districts and for the nine congressional seats.

In the eyes of a political junkie, that is real power.

Republicans whittled away at the traditional Democratic majorities in the state Senate and House of Representatives, capturing control of the Senate in 2006 and building on the party's majority in the 2008 elections.

The House of Representatives has been a slower build. Republicans gained a one-seat majority after the 2008 election but found themselves locked in a virtual tie when plans to elect a speaker or leader in the House went awry.

But the build toward the House majority is a worthy civics lesson.

Over time Democrats who traditionally held the majority of House seats between Nashville and Memphis, or the rural, western portion of the state, saw their numbers dwindle. While Republicans held the congressional seat that covered that large acreage, Democrats maintained a hold on the state legislative posts. That changed and Republicans picked up seats, pushing Democrats more into urban pockets.

One Republican lawmaker reminded a GOP audience last week that the former House speaker, Rep. Jimmy Naifeh, D-Covington, for several years blocked consideration of gun legislation, strangling the progress of bills in committees. His point was that with a Republican majority, and a new speaker, the gun bills moved forward and passed. While Republicans put the larger number of votes on the board for approval, not all Democrats sat on the sideline in disapproval.

The Republican-led legislature is making its mark.

Their new two-house majorities allowed them to jostle for the first time with Democratic Gov. Phil Bredesen over budget priorities. If the numbers were correct, the battle was over a tenth of a percentage point in dollars. The actual differences between the Republicans in the Senate and the governor boiled down to how to fund programs, capital projects and jobs.

The Republican-led legislature will have a second year to demonstrate its prowess in setting priorities for the state, drawing significant differences with Gov. Bredesen and demonstrating a feel for handling issues of importance to the people of Tennessee.

They probably will not go down the path once more of telling local governments what they can and cannot do in city and county parks and playgrounds.

Republicans believe the politics in Tennessee point toward enhanced majorities in the state House and Senate, and toward redrawing congressional districts that are more favorable.

"We really have to blow it not to pick up seats," predicted state Rep. Gerald McCormick, a Republican from Hamilton County.

Asked how it might affect redistricting if Republicans control one house and Democrats the other after the 2010 elections, Rep. McCormick said, "If the Democrats draw seats fairly, there is no way they can beat us."

As the sayings go, though, all is fair in love, war and politics, and a day can be a lifetime in politics.

In the end, it will be about performance, and Republicans will have had two years in charge at the time voters decide who should draw the lines for the next decade.

To reach Tom Griscom, call (423) 757-6472 or e-mail tgriscom@timesfreepress.com.