Pundits, pollsters and mainstream news media sources have been confidently telling the American people that a “blue wave” will hit, bringing one or even both houses of Congress under Democrat control. Now, however, reality has begun to set in as it becomes clear that literally dozens of races across the United States are too close to call.
Current and aspiring state governors, senators and representatives alike are struggling to finish their races and convince voters that their vision for local and state communities is indeed the best one.
Estimates show that 205 districts are likely to vote for Democratic candidates, while 199 districts are likely to vote Republican. At the same time, there are currently 31 districts which could vote either way, and pundits simply cannot predict who will win. Democrats need to take back at least 23 seats in the House of Representatives in order to gain control, so this new insight means that they are in serious danger of falling short. Given this fact, it is not surprising that a few honest liberals are openly confessing that there isn’t going to be a “blue wave”.
Sen. Bernie Sanders, an independent Senator who is currently campaigning for Democrat candidates, said in a recent interview that races will be very close and only a handful of voters will determine who wins in competitive districts. Surprisingly, current DNC chair Tom Perez has publicly agreed with him. Perez stated that he does not use the term “blue wave” because he doesn’t believe that there will be one, and he cautions that the mid-terms in general will be a close race between the two parties.
Naturally, a lot of this directly links back to President Donald Trump. A recent NBC/Wall Street Journal poll notes that the president is steadily growing in popularity; in fact, up to 47% of poll respondents approve of him, while only 45% of poll respondents approved of former President Barack Obama at this same time in the 2010 mid-term elections. This, coupled with the fact that GOP voters are more enthusiastic than ever about supporting their party, could very well allow the GOP to retain control over both houses of Congress.
Nonetheless, the Republican Party still has its work cut out as the same poll shows that the majority of voters would be happy to see the Democratic Party gain control over the House of Representatives. Furthermore, there are a number of seats that used to be considered “safely Republican” but are now in play. In fact, there is even a chance that Democrats may take control of the Senate, or at least leave the GOP stuck with the very slim majority it currently has. There are thirteen competitive Senate races throughout the United States and six of these are a complete toss-up while four are leaning Democratic.
While it remains to be seen how the midterm elections will play out, there are a few certainties that voters can count on. One certainty is that, if the Democrats regain control over the House, they will do everything in their power to stall or even destroy the president’s agenda. Former Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi is already saying that the DNC will use the subpoena power it hopes to gain as a “negotiating tool” when working with (or more likely against) the president. On the other hand, President Trump is reminding his base that providing him with a clear win in the upcoming mid-term elections could enable the GOP to repeal the Affordable Care Act as well as pass other controversial pieces of legislation. A Republican victory would provide the president’s 2020 campaign with an early boost, especially if the GOP wins competitive gubernatorial races as well as congressional ones.
Given the fact that there is so much as stake, it is not surprising that more people are voting than ever before.
~ Liberty Planet