Media exuberance at the Democrats’ performance in the US mid-term elections (Mercury, November 8) does not quite measure up to what actually occurred in that while the Democrats made gains in the House of Representatives, they lost ground in the Senate.
First, there was no Democrat “blue wave.” Obama, the Clintons, Oprah and Joe Biden failed to ignite and energise Democrats in the way Trump did with rallies of tens of thousands of Republicans.
Second, the Democrats’ takeover in the House of Representatives with 32 new seats was a modest Republican loss compared with the 60 seats Obama lost in his first mid-term and the 54 seats Clinton lost in 1996. Added to that, it should be pointed out that 40 Republican congressmen retired, so their seats were contested by new faces.
Third, the fact that the Republicans consolidated their grip on the Senate is a historic outcome for a mid-term election. With a run-off election due in Mississippi on November 27, which the Republican Party stands to win, it should have 54 seats in the Senate.
Fourth, there was an attempt by left-wing billionaire George Soros and his fellow travellers to buy the election by injecting hundreds of millions of dollars in support of Democrat candidates. Republican election spending was modest in comparison.
Fifth, Trump has unified the Republican Party whereas the Democrats are fractured and fragmented. Radical socialists like Maxine Waters and Adam Schiff will prove very difficult for prospective House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to rein in and to subject to a disciplined policy programme.
With the Republicans in the Senate solidly in support, Trump will be able to continue his foreign policy initiatives and any further Supreme Court appointments without hindrance. But for the House Democrats to accomplish anything, they will need to work with President Trump.
Sent into The Mercury and published, 9 November 2018.
Add Comment