I watched Tuesday night’s midterm election returns as if expecting some kind of karmic payback for Trump’s election in 2016.Of course, there was none.
The results were anticlimactic. We pretty much knew the outcomes. No big surprises. Just a few disappointments, depending upon your biases.
There were some very close wins, with a few nail-biters that, even now, by the weekend after, have not been resolved.
The Blue Wave did not materialize. Just a gentle lapping at the shore.
Republicans lost control of the House, as expected. Some pundits speculated that Trump had sacrificed the lower house for the sake of Judge Brett Kavanaugh’s confirmation. This I question, based on Trump’s evident outrage directed toward the White House Press Corps and the Republicans who rebuffed his endorsement. I would speculate that his hubris allowed him to believe that he could continue his reign of tyranny unchecked for another two years.
Regardless of my opinion, the nation is more divided than it was last Monday. We are becoming more and more mired in this morass of political expediency, Party over country, and deteriorating morals and human decency.
I am not alone in being exhausted by it all.
Many of us have made phone calls and sent letters and email to our representatives to little or no avail. Ultimately, though, we have had our chance to be heard through our votes.
Rather than spend time rehashing the “woe is us” and “alas, we are doomed,” I would rather lift up the baby steps that were achieved in this year’s midterms.
While Trump whines and has tantrums, we can revel in the very high turnout of voters, especially the youth, and minority groups that had to fight tooth and nail against renewed efforts to suppress their voices. 16% of this year’s turnout were first-time voters.
While Republicans gnashed their teeth, Democrats celebrated several firsts for the House. Two Native American women were elected in Kansas and New Mexico. Two Muslim women were elected in Michigan and Minnesota. Colorado elected its first openly gay, Jewish governor. The youngest ever representative was elected at the tender age of 29, a Latino woman.
Among those elected this year can be counted 75 veterans, 8 scientists, and more than 100 women.
Among this year’s defeats was Senator Heidi Heitkamp, who knew she was signing her walking papers when she voted her conscience against the confirmation of Judge Brett Kavanaugh. One might view this in the loss column. Others might put it in with the wins as a triumph of conscience over expediency.
We made it to the weekend with the Georgia governor’s race facing a mandatory recount. In Texas, the governor’s and senator’s races have also fallen into recount status due to their state laws governing what percentage difference triggers that recount. Here in Arizona, the senate seat vacated by Jeff Flake lies in limbo while early ballots are being tabulated. It is estimated that 500,000 of our votes remain to be registered. And as those votes continue to shift the victory from Republican Martha McSally to Democrat Kyrsten Sinema, ugly voices have risen up to attempt to discard those yet uncounted.
Wherever it all shakes out, one truth remains. The U.S. House of Representatives has taken its important role as a check on the powers of the President and the Senate. As soon-to-be former Senator Flake stated, with a hint of glee, the Democrats are about to become the thorn in Trump’s side that might help restore the Republican Party to its former identity as a more moderate conservative party, and just might spur a challenger for the Republican nomination for President in the 2020 election.
For now, the relentless barrage of political TV commercials and online ads has ended. I have recycled the mountain of slick political mailings that cluttered my desk (oh, the loss of forests to this enterprise!). The presidential race will begin in earnest.
Democracy is a messy exercise. When done with purpose it produces aches and pains, blood, sweat and tears.
Now it’s time to shower off, protein up, and get ready to carbo-load for the next go-round.
What’s the expression? No pain, no gain? Let’s hope we’re up to the task.
There were gains, not as large as many of us wished, yet controlling the House of Representatives is significant, as are gains in governorships. 30% of young people voted, from somewhere around 20% in previous comparable elections. Of course, that means 70% of those young people stayed home. Trump would have honored the vets in France, and in Arlington, but the midterms came before the events. What would those TeaBaggers (now preferring to be called The Freedom Caucus) have said if Obama had skipped out on such traditions? By they way, why wasn’t Free Market Man urging us to vote D? He’s been rather quiet since the tariffs.
One must remember Rome wasn’t built in one day. We just have to see if these changes really go the way most hope for. Many want change but when it arrives and effects them negatively they are disappointed.
Let’s face it if the President had shown up at those functions. The educated guess would be he said or did something horribly wrong..so those who never find anything he does to be satisfactory would have been upset either way.
If President Obama had not attended.my guess is what is said today might have been said than.
Basura…I’m guessing the label of “Tea Baggers” refers to the Tea Party…. which is very unlike anything you have ever called any group or person. Since my guess is you do lean Left in your political feelings. I find it hard to expect that offensive label you put into print. One would have to be very naive not to know the term and it’s meaning.
I’m just disappointed, to see that coming from one siding with those who continually scream I’m offended….but that’s the way it goes correct??
Harry seems to remind me of my dad con beat up your dad — My Trump can beat up your Obama, the school closes for a snow day half glad half mad.
Trump missed functions, why I don’t know. He has to live with it, not me or anybody else. People never seem to be happy with anything. I am happy as a child. I had a warm bed three meals a day and clothes on my back. By the way, that was my allowance. Better mow the grass before dad gets home.
Mr Longstreet
You missed the major point of my comment.
You see Basura ( which in Spanish translates into the word Trash ) writes many views not very popular sometimes. but that is what ” trash talk” is about.
I was taking him to task for describing a group as”Teabaggers”. Even though he may lean more left than straight up right, if is very unlikely he should of used that description. Unless one does not know the meaning of the term “teabagger ” they will not understand my disappointment in Basura…
You can’t lean left and talk as if you came from the radical right.
You’re right Harry. I should not have used the term Tea Baggers. I’ll try to do better.
You missed the point of my comment. Nobody is happy with anything . Somebody says something you or i do not like let start building the gallows. My point was everbody has something to be happy about just will not take time to remember . The world is so different from what i remember . SAD