The 2022 midterm elections were expected to be a great big red wave. The November votes were a story of great expectation.
Republicans had high hopes that they would take control of both chambers of Congress from the Democrats. They had their eyes set on dozens of seats in the House of Representatives and seats in the Senate too. They focused on the public’s sour mood over the direction of the country and zoned in on inflation.
But the red wave did not happen. Republicans are still trying to understand why.
People’s votes were not just influenced by the sitting president but were also influenced by their views on the former president – Donald Trump. And the result of those votes may have a profound impact on which Republicans challenge Biden in 2024.
Trump has already announced another run for the White House, making it his third consecutive run. Trump backed several of the losing Senate candidates, hand-picking them himself, leading to criticism among some Republicans that his involvement cost the party winnable races. Trump emerged from the midterms more politically vulnerable than he has been in some time.
While the GOP took a majority in the House, it was by a razor-thin margin. The Senate they failed to take, even though they only needed one more seat to claim it.
The political environment seemed to favor Republicans. But there was more to the overall picture of the United States political environment. The U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in June to overturn the federal constitutional protection for abortion galvanized Democratic voters and drove them to the polls.
At the same time, Republicans nominated a slate of candidates, particularly in Senate races, who voters saw as either too extreme, too inexperienced, or both.
The final result of those elections did alter the balance of power in Washington, but not to the degree that it might have.
Heading into the new Congress, experts say that Republicans can pass legislation in the House to grab headlines, but it will likely stand no chance of seeing a vote in the Senate. The Republicans in the House can stall so-called must-pass bills, including ones to raise the nation’s debt ceiling or fund the federal government. House Republican leaders have already threatened the nightmare scenario of a debt default to extract deep spending cuts to Democratic priorities.
The slim House majority that the GOP holds means party leaders will have to unite what has been a quarrelsome caucus to achieve much of anything.
Be the first to comment