Republicans believe they have the momentum to take back the House and Senate in the 2022 midterm elections.
Conventional wisdom says the party not in the White House — in this case, Republicans – has a major advantage in the midterms. Add that to lingering frustrations over the 2020 election combined with an extreme liberal agenda coming out of Washington, and many analysts say Republicans are heading into November 2022 with a steady wind at their backs.
In the evenly divided Senate, 20 Republican and 14 Democratic seats are up for grabs. Meanwhile, every House seat is on the ballot. Democrats hold a slim eight-seat advantage and five seats currently are vacant. That means Republicans would only need to pick up 5 seats to take back control. Historically, the party in the White House loses an average of 26 seats in the midterms, and the last two Democratic presidents suffered an even greater midterm loss.
“You’ve got the cancel culture, you’ve got ‘woke’ corporations telling people how to think, you’ve got big tech and media outlets basically telling people if you believe this about COVID or if you believe this about the election, we’re just going to shut you down,” said John Waage, senior editor for CBN News. “You combine all that, and it’s producing a pretty heady brew of anger right now.”
Another advantage to the GOP is redistricting, or the redrawing of congressional lines following the census. Because Republicans control more statehouses across the country, they will be in charge of crafting more districts and can draw lines favorable to their party. Waage believes this all plays into predictions the electorate is ready to apply the brakes.
“People are beginning to mobilize, and they’re starting to say, ‘If we want to keep the republic the way we understand the republic, we’re going to have to get involved ourselves,” he said.
Polling has shown extreme dissatisfaction on key issues central to the young Biden administration. Those include the current border crisis with over 250,000 now having entered illegally since February, skyrocketing inflation, gas prices that are 1/3 higher than the inauguration day, the proposed federal takeover of local elections, crumbling peace in the Middle East, forcing schools and colleges to allow biological males to use girls showers and restrooms, expanded abortion funding, continuing and conflicting guidance from the CDC over Covid and the handling of China regarding its origins, the suspension of the KeystoneXL pipeline, the resumption of energy imports after having become energy independent under Trump, exploding national debt and a new $6 trillion budget and continued racial strife which Biden said would come to an end under his presidency.
In addition, even as Biden said his administration would “look like America,” 90% of all of his appointments have gone to officials from the Obama administration. Very few if any, Republicans have been appointed to positions unlike former President Trump who had a more diverse administration.
Even those who voted for trump are disaffected because Biden has rescinded key promises made during the election. Slashed from the new budget are demands that were central to many liberal voters who support Biden. There will be no Medicare for all, no $50,000 per student load forgiveness and Biden has, to the surprise of many, continued to support Israel in the face of anti-Semitic attacks by members of Congress and the Black Lives Matter movement.
–Alan Goforth | Metro Voice