A Midterm Night's Dream

“Though she be but little, she is fierce!”

William Shakespeare’s words might be used to describe the Democratic Party in its upcoming election night battle with the Republican Party. After all, the GOP holds the House, Senate, White House, and a majority of state houses as well. The Democratic underdogs are determined and working hard for a “Blue Wave”. The curious thing about this is that despite the underdog reputation, according to the Gallup Organization, 30% of voters consider themselves Democrats vs. 28% Republicans. Independents are the leaders at 39%. Later in this piece you will see results of a survey that show the majority of registered voters tend to side with the Democratic opinion on most major issues.

For the Blue Wave to occur, Democrats are counting on large voter turnout and having their message make inroads with independent voters. The results of the 2016 election and subsequent Democratic minority (excluding Russian interference) can be laid squarely at the feet of low voter turnout. In the 2016 Presidential election, the Electoral College victor received 62 million popular votes while the runner-up received 65 million popular votes. Astoundingly, 99.7 million eligible voters did not vote. Those 99.7 million citizens could have easily negated Russian operatives and underhanded campaign personnel.

What are we voting for?

This midterm election boils down to a referendum on the Donald Trump presidency. Many of the GOP candidates pledge their unwavering support of the President while many Democrats are running on issues that are in opposition to Trump’s stance on immigration, tax reform, foreign relations, and healthcare. The GOP has been largely silent on obvious corruption within the administration while a Democratic majority will certainly be a check on the administration’s abuses. The future efficacy of the Mueller investigation will also likely hinge on the election results. Firing Mueller would have led to disastrous midterm results, but a continued GOP majority will likely lead to a purge of Robert Mueller, Jeff Sessions, and Rod Rosenstein. Should that happen, look for Lindsey Graham to be the new Attorney General. He is firmly in Trump’s pocket and the Department of Justice will finally be run according to Trump’s specifications.

What do the Republicans and Democrats want?

A recent survey by the Pew Research Center sharply delineates the differences among voters’ views on major issues. The numbers below represent the percentage of voters favoring an issue, broken down by those supporting Republican candidates vs. those supporting Democratic Candidates, plus the opinion of all registered voters as a whole.

R = Republican Candidate; A = All Registered Voters; D = Democratic Candidate

Government responsibility to ensure all have health care:             R – 24    A - 58     D – 85

We need to continue making changes to give blacks equal

rights with whites:                                                                           R – 29    A - 59     D – 85

Other countries generally treat the U.S. about as fairly as

we treat them:                                                                                  R – 12    A - 41     D – 66

Economic system unfairly favors powerful interests:                     R – 34    A - 63     D – 86

If a person is rich, it is more because he or she had more

advantages in life than most other people:                                      R – 18    A - 43     D – 66

U.S. should take into account the interests of its allies,

even if it means making compromises with them:                          R – 31    A – 57    D – 78

America’s openness is essential to who we are as a

nation:                                                                                              R – 44    A – 68    D – 87

Abortion should be legal in all / most cases:                                   R – 38    A – 61    D – 80

If a person is poor, it is more due to circumstances beyond

his or her control:                                                                             R – 29    A – 51    D – 68

Government regulation of business is necessary to protect

public interest:                                                                                  R – 31    A – 51    D - 68    

Approve of tax law passed by Trump and Congress:                      R – 78    A – 40    D – 11

Trump administration tariffs good for the U.S.:                              R – 72    A – 39    D - 14

                                                                                               

 

The numbers above show sharp differences in all of the issues. It underscores the difficulty of achieving bi-partisan support in today’s political climate. It also shows to me that on many issues, the administration is pursuing a path not supported by the majority of the electorate. The enduring question is how did we get to this point in history with a President who is so divisive and controversial? Our political division is not simply about issues – behavior and personality traits are up for debate as well. There no longer seems to be an accepted standard of presidential decorum. How else do you explain unwavering presidential support from a significant segment of the population in spite of several instances of boorish and offensive behavior and statements? Remember when John Kennedy’s Catholicism was a huge issue? Donald Trump is a thrice married, non-Church going adulterer who enjoys overwhelming support from Evangelicals and the Religious Right. Why?? The economy is doing well right now. I get that. Is that enough reason to ignore any other measures of presidential performance? The economy also showed vast improvement during Obama’s eight years in office. Remember, he assumed office during the Great Recession. In spite of that, he faced overwhelming criticism from the right for everything he did.

We need more moderates. We need to reach consensus. We also need an end to the Citizens United Supreme Court ruling which ushered in Super PACs. These “independent-expenditure only committees” have generated a bonanza of cash which has created an era of political prostitution. The influx of special interest money has ruined our political process. Perhaps not-coincidentally, several studies have shown that the Citizens United ruling has been more beneficial to Republican candidates.


So, what can we do? The answer is simple. Vote. Vote in every election – local, state, and national. Vote against those with extremist, nationalistic views. Vote for those who put the welfare of the people at the forefront of their agenda. Remember, 99.7 million people did not vote in the last Presidential election. The impact of those votes is more powerful than Super-PACs and can transform the country. It can protect our environment, ensure access to healthcare, strengthen our educational system, provide equal opportunity for all, and further humanitarian efforts across the globe. Vote.


“Lord, what fools these mortals be!”


~William Shakespeare