For release: 11/05/26
A wipeout for Republicans
By Cal Thomas
Tribune Content Agency
In 2010, President Obama described those midterm elections as a “shellacking” for Democrats, who lost 60 seats in the House. Then, as now, the economy was the top issue.
If Republicans could have had a worse night, I don’t know what it would be. From Maine to Michigan to Texas, Republicans failed miserably to get any message across to voters that would have persuaded a majority to vote for their candidates. One reason for the debacle was that too many GOP candidates ran on fear – fear of socialism, fear of “jihadis” (a slap at Michigan Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed).
The blame game started before the night was over. President Trump ludicrously blamed Fox News for the many defeats. In a way he may be right. Fox carried many of Trump’s rambling, egotistic rallies in which he often repeated himself, used vulgar language, called Democrats names and demeaned others. His closing remarks were at the Reflecting Pool between the Lincoln Memorial and Washington Monument. He sounded more like someone trying to sell you a pool for your backyard.
Trump fulfilled some promises. He closed the border, deported many undocumented immigrants and cut taxes for the wealthy, but his caustic personality sometimes overwhelmed his triumphs. In 2010, when Obama used the word “shellacking,” headlines said he was humbled. No one ever accused Donald Trump of having humility.
The problem for Democrats is they might choose revenge against Trump rather than cooperation with him. They will almost certainly be controlled by their new hard-left members in both chambers. Revenge might turn off many voters in the 2028 election. Yes, there can and should be investigations of any corruption (don’t Republicans do the same?). With the president able to veto any legislation Congress passes, Democrats are unlikely to enact their agenda, including Medicare for all and ending the war against Iran. If they are smart, they will come up with a few bills Trump could sign. That would give them an advantage in public opinion and a claim they can make government work again.
The election reveals what has been observable for some time. There has been a generational shift in beliefs and priorities, but also a change in how younger people look at the economy and morals. Many now lack a firm ideology. For them, it appears it’s all about feelings, not substance.
These changes from older generations have many “fathers.” First, another generation has been raised without believing they need to contribute to the welfare of their country. Second, the education system, from public schools to universities, have indoctrinated young people, failing to teach them how to think, but what to think.
Then there has been a decline in belief in God and church attendance which in the past taught people more about how to live than how to make a living.
The result has been an intellectual and moral vacuum which politicians have been all too ready to fill. Though they can change little (if they could, wouldn’t they have done so by now as the country remains divided?), they tell people what they want to hear.
One result of the election can be seen in what happened in Michigan with Abdul El-Sayed’s victory in the Senate race. As Bret Stephens wrote in his New York Times column: “…a vote for Abdul El-Sayed, the Democrat, was a vote not just for a stridently anti-Israel candidate but for the normalization of antisemitism that his candidacy has helped to produce.”
A new Gallup poll finds Congress has a miserable 14 percent approval. It’s also been low when Republicans have been in the majority. That is unlikely to change as long as politicians put their own interests first and remain in the grip of their respective extreme wings.
According to Fox News’ “The Faulkner Focus,” there were fifty-six far-left candidates backed by the Democratic Socialists of America on midterm ballots. A handful won. Younger people with few life experiences who have been called “the TikTok generation” and have little experience with a job, capitalism, sacrifice for their country, defending the nation and its interests, rather than self-interest, were key in this election. They may come to regret it if the full impact of socialism takes hold.
Readers may email Cal Thomas at tcaeditors@tribpub.com. Look for Cal Thomas’ latest book “A Watchman in the Night: What I’ve Seen Over 50 Years Reporting on America” (HumanixBooks).
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