This article was written well ahead of scheduled publishing in order to accommodate my travel plans.
Perhaps it is the old coach in me but I’m not feeling real good going into the final stretch before the mid-terms. If the Democrats take a loss (as in one or both chambers of Congress) what happens may well depend on just how bad the loss(s) are.
If the margins are relatively narrow and mostly traditional Republicans are elected it may not be that bad. However, especially in the House, if enough MAGA Republicans are elected it may well be game over. Even though I do precious little to cover it, what type of Republicans win in the states could be even more important. If enough MAGA Republicans are elected to effectively nullify future votes it may well be game over for democracy in America.
Remember, history teaches us that most democracies die from within. Yes, the American extreme right is a far greater threat than all the hostile nuclear powers combined!
Many Americans vote their pocketbook especially in mid-terms. Most of them judge the economy by looking at the gas pump. If the extreme right has a good year in 2022 Vladimir Putin will be sitting back in Russia laughing at how stupid the American are and how easily their elections are manipulated. He really didn’t spend a lot of money in 2016 but to a large degree got Donald Trump elected. If successful, this time around all he did was cause a temporary spike in retail gasoline prices a few weeks before the election.
Whether he is leading the majority or the minority is unknown at this point but Mitch McConnell will be the Republicans’ leader in the Senate. Mitch is evil but he is also politically very smart. If his caucus, freed from imminent primaries isn’t too MAGA, they led by Mitch, may well sense that Trump is yesterday’s news. You can already see a plethora of Republicans gearing up for a 2024 presidential run. Mitch would love to be rid of Trump but he and his caucus are not willing to stick their political necks out in what could be a losing battle.
In the House I’m less confident that the heir apparent Kevin McCarthy will be the leader. Guts and brains are not his strong suits but Trump and the MAGA forces may still want to replace him. Whoever is the Republican leader, be it as Speaker or House Minority Leader, they will be a puppet for Trump. While the exact makeup, (let alone numbers), is unknown at this point it is impossible for the next House Republican caucus to be less MAGA. That means people like Jim “Not to be confused with a human” Jordan, Marjorie Taylor Greene and Lauren “GED” Boebert will be more mainstream Republican than ever in the House.
Many House Republicans owe their seats to Trump and feel they cannot be politically successful without his backing. Trump cares absolutely nothing about America or American democracy. He sees whatever chance he has of returning to the Oval Office predicated on making Joe Biden and the Democrats look bad. If it hurt his base of less well educated, white Americans he simply doesn’t care and feels they are too stupid to realize it anyway.
If you have already voted that is great! If you haven’t, please don’t sit this one out! If the Republicans, especially the MAGA ones, get too much control we may never recognize America again. I think it is inevitable that the Republican congressional caucuses will get more MAGA; by what degree is hugely important.
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