Post Election Analysis of the 2018 Mid-Terms

After a wild and crazy year leading up to the mid-terms, the election has finally come and gone. The GOP has held onto the Senate and even increased it’s lead at 52-47 (Arizona still not declared but leaning GOP as of this writing). The Democrats won the House by picking up 28 seats (23 needed). It could increase by a few more as several races have not been declared.

Here are some observations post-election:

• There was no blue wave. The GOP not only keep the Senate but replaced a couple of anti-Trump GOP Senators (Blackburn for Corker and McSally for Flake, assuming the lead holds). They also added a pro-Trumper in Indiana as Mike Braun defeated Democrat incumbent Joe Donnelly.
• Nine of the eleven Senate candidates Trump campaigned for in contested races won. So anyone who says this was a repudiation of Trump is incorrect. And those candidates owe their survival to him. That will provide good groundwork going into 2020. And many of the candidates that refused to embrace Trump lost (Mia Love being one). For better or worse the Republican party is now the party of Trump.
• Obama was 0-4 in his campaigning of contested races (Donnelly, Gillum, Nelson and Abrams). He is inching ever so close to the same anti-Midas touch Bill Clinton had in the 2000’s. We need more of him on the campaign trail in 2020.
• Republican Kim Reynolds became the first female Governor of Iowa. And Marsha Blackburn became the first female Senator from Tennessee. Wait, I thought Republicans hated women? How did this happen? And it’s a sad day for Taylor Swift as her interjection into the Tennessee race on behalf of the Democrat had no effect whatsoever.
• Mitt Romney won! Too bad we couldn’t say that in 2012. Of course he ran in a state that couldn’t have been a better fit for him so you’ll understand why if I find it anti-climatic.
• Women voters are not monolithically opposed to Trump and the Republican Party. Many voted for Trump in 2016 and the GOP in 2018. The left is not happy with that!Elie Mystal:

  White women:

  76% Kemp

  59% Cruz

  51% DeSantis

  Black women:

  95% O’Rourke

  97% Abrahms

  82% Gillum

  So I guess those 18% of black women who did NOT vote for Gillum are racist too! Seems to me it’s the non-white women who are voting en masse for Democrats.

  Jemele Hill: I’m not here to antagonize white women at all. I just want to know why so many of them seem intent on voting against the best interest of all women. They need to be held accountable, particularly as in race after race, black women show up and vote in support of feminist ideals.

• In Texas Ted Cruz defeated Beto O’Rourke. Hardest hit: the celebrities who donated to the Beto campaign. All that Hollywood money down the drain. Brings a tear to my eye. I’ll admit they almost pulled it off. Since he only lost by 3 points I’m guessing Beto may now be a Democrat presidential front runner for 2020. Overall, almost every one of the left’s and media’s progressive heroes lost: Gillum, O’Rourke, Abrams, Bredesen. So much for the progressive rock stars.
• The left still doesn’t understand how elections work. Or just can’t accept defeat. Remember how they refused to (and still don’t) accept Trump as President because Hillary won the popular vote? And last week they floated the idea that they might lose the House despite winning the overall vote total? Well, now they are bemoaning the fact that the GOP kept the Senate while losing the overall Senate “popular” vote. How ignorant can folks be?Amanda Marcotte (Salon): Republicans lost the popular vote in Senate races by over 15 percentage points, but still gained two seats. Our country is not a democracy. The reason we don’t have a democracy is simple: Racist, sexist voters who disproportionately live in overpowered areas block democracy because they prefer minority rule over the urban, diverse, Democratic-voting majority. They are, in other words, assholes who oppose fairness.

  And she writes for Salon.

  Not to be outdone, Joy Behar blamed it on gerrymanding. Funny how the left didn’t have any issues with gerrymandering by Democrats in Pennsylvania that completely changed the political landscape to one favorable for Democrats in the House races this year.

So what can we expect going forward? Here are a few predictions:

• Nancy Pelosi will see a challenge to being speaker, especially from the young-ins who just won. Trump brilliantly (and hilariously) endorsed her right after the election. He knows how erratic she is and that she will be the gift that keeps on giving until 2020. My goodness the woman still thinks Bush is President at times! My guess is that any revolt gets put down quickly. But eventually the establishment Democrats are going to a have a major problem dealing with the anti-establishment newcomers as the GOP did (and still is) with Trump.
• The Democrats in the House will start a myriad of investigations on Trump (taxes, Russian collusion etc). And at some point Pelosi will go the impeachment route. She will be forced to by her radical base. But success is problematic even in the House with the slim majority they have. There are a lot of candidates who were victorious in districts Trump won in 2016. And even if impeachment passes, it goes nowhere in the Senate.
• There will be basic gridlock for two years on the legislative end. Whatever the House passes will be DOA in the Senate. There may be a few exceptions to this such as rebuilding the infrastructure. But don’t look for much.
• With the tax cuts the GOP enacted in 2017, the economy will keep humming along. And Trump will continue to negotiate trade deals advantageous to America. Democrats won’t be able to reverse the tax cuts (or crumbs as Pelosi calls them). If I were Trump I’d call her bluff and ask her to create legislation for a bigger middle income tax cut that the Democrats keep asking for.
• With the Senate well in hand, Trump and McConnell will continue to fill the courts with constitutionalists judges. And they won’t have to depend on the votes of Collins and Murskowski to get them confirmed. This will be his legacy long after his presidency is over.
• Funding for the border wall is likely not happening unless it is included with a lot of “goodies” for Democrats. Trump will probably propose it with a broader package to solve DACA but the Democrats will oppose it. And he knows it. Trump will once again make them own the failure. This is his strongest issue and the left still doesn’t understand how bad they look on illegal immigration outside of their bubble. Another possibility: Trump could use the military to build the wall. He has the appropriation for it from the defense budget. And with the caravan approaching timing may be right to do it.
• Hollywood celebrities will continue to believe in their own self importance in lecturing the country about the menace of Trump – how he’s like Hitler, the KKK or the infamous El Guapo. Cher will keep on tweeting in all caps with tons of emoticons as if a nuclear bomb was imminent. Michael Moore will continue his charade as the common man while living in his mansion (and deceiving his followers). And while promoting the #metoo movement female celebrities will appear nude or scantily clad to resist the latest injustice. I have no idea what they think that is supposed to accomplish but they cannot how it makes them look like fools and hypocrites.
• The left will remain delusional, angry and hateful. Why? Because Trump will complete his first term in office. Mobs and protests will continue. They already are as Tucker Carlson is the latest target.
• And finally, the media (including conservative media) will remain clueless on Trump’s strategy while he continues to win and maintain his bond with the voters. They understand Trump. All of this is fine with me. Until you understand your opponent you can’t beat him. And the left will never understand Trump.

It’s going to be a fun ride the next 2 years! Pop the popcorn and watch it as it unfolds.