The Misdirected GOP Blame Game
In the end, there was no red “tsunami,” “wave,” or even “trickle.” In fact, the 2022 midterm election was a major win for the Democratic Party. Usually, in a midterm election, the party in power suffers huge losses. It happened in 1994, 2010 and 2018.
It did not happen in 2022 despite the horror show being delivered by President Joe Biden and the Democratic Party. The country is suffering from historic inflation, a border invasion, massive increases in crime, a fentanyl epidemic, educational malpractice in our schools, as well as an array of other problems.
Polls showed that Americans understood the severity of the problems that we face. Still, Democrats prevailed in the U.S. Senate, flipped some governorships, and lost only a handful of seats in the U.S. House.
It is ludicrous to blame the election disappointment on President Donald Trump. He won over seventy-four million votes in 2020, the most of any GOP presidential nominee in American history. During his campaign, he was the only former Republican Party presidential nominee on the campaign trail trying to help his fellow GOP candidates. He held numerous rallies all over the country, energizing grassroots Republicans to support candidates running in the midterm election.
Where was the 2000 and 2004 GOP presidential nominee George W. Bush? Other than helping turncoat Republican Congresswoman Liz Cheney of Wyoming, who was overwhelmingly defeated, Bush was absent.
Where was the Republican Party’s 2012 presidential nominee U.S. Senator Mitt Romney of Utah? He did nothing to help his party. In fact, he refused to support his fellow Republican U.S. Senator from Utah, Mike Lee, in his reelection battle against Evan McMullen, an “Independent,” former Trump-hating Republican. The wise voters of Utah rewarded Lee with another Senate term, rejecting the nonsense from McMullen and Romney.
The real loser in the midterm election was not Trump, it was Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY). He showered money on the party establishment’s favorite U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), while giving no help to her more conservative opponent.
In Arizona, McConnell’s Senate Leadership Fund cancelled $17.6 million in ad buys for GOP candidate Blake Masters. This decision destroyed any chance he had to win that close election. In the aftermath, Masters urged Republican Senators to “not vote Mitch McConnell into leadership. He doesn’t deserve to be majority leader or minority leader.”
U.S. Senator Josh Hawley (R-MO) echoed those comments about McConnell. He said that “we need new leadership in that position.” In addition, he claimed that an entirely new Republican Party is needed. He tweeted, “The old party is dead. Time to bury it. Build something new.”
What is representative of the old party is not only McConnell, but also House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) and Republican Party Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel. All three of these GOP leaders were labeled by Congressman Matt Gaetz (R-FL), “McFailure.”
During this election, President Trump was on the campaign trail reminding voters of his successful administration. He was also pointing out the disastrous results of the Biden administration. Unfortunately, he did not have any help from the Republican Party’s leadership.
While Republicans rightly criticized the calamity of the Biden administration, they were ineffective in informing voters about their agenda. There was no platform like “Contract with America” that helped Republicans win in 1994. While McCarthy and Republican Senator Rick Scott of Florida offered plans of action, nothing was emphasized to voters.
Henceforth, part of any Republican Party plan must be a demand that voting return to Election Day. Absentee voting needs to be rare and mail-in voting, ballot harvesting and drop boxes must be eliminated.
It is outrageous that vote counting continued for days after the election in states such as Arizona, Pennsylvania, California, and Nevada. The longer the voting is extended, the less confidence there should be in the result.
In France, early and absentee voting is not permitted. No ballots are mailed and, of course, there are no drop boxes. In the last election, 48.8 million voters were allowed to participate in elections using old fashioned methods such as paper envelopes and ballots. The results were announced, not weeks later, but on election night.
We should follow the French model and return to paper ballots. It would be refreshing, once again, to announce our winners on election night.
In this election, the Republican Party should have enjoyed a midterm landslide. The fault lies not with inferior GOP candidates, as the really embarrassing nominees were Democrats. For example, John Fetterman should not be a U.S. Senator, he should be receiving intensive medical treatment for his stroke.
His debate performance was one of the worst in the annals of American politics. Yet, a massive number of Pennsylvania voters had already cast ballots before he bombed during the debate.
As Republicans deal with missed opportunities of the 2022 election, it is very unwise to direct their anger at President Trump. He is the reason the Republicans are even competitive in any election.
When he became a candidate in 2015, he expanded the base of the Republican Party to include working class Americans who had been ignored for decades. His goal has always been to “Make America Great Again” and place our country first. Trump wants to return power to the American people and reduce the influence of the Deep State.
Therefore, he has been attacked mercilessly for seven years. He has taken this harassment for the American people as his love for our country is genuine. Trump is hated by power brokers who control this country and want the American people to be serfs, not free citizens.
As the fight for America continues, the Republican Party must not fall for the trap being set by the Democrats and the media.
Does the GOP really want to return power to the establishment, neocon, warmonger, Bush wing or continue to fight to put “America First?”
If the GOP abandons the “MAGA” movement, the party will never seriously compete in any national election ever again.
Jeff Crouere is a native New Orleanian and his award-winning program, “Ringside Politics,” airs Saturdays from Noon until 1 p.m. CT nationally on Real America’s Voice TV Network & AmericasVoice.News and weekdays from 7-11 a.m. CT on WGSO 990-AM & Wgso.com. He is a political columnist, the author of America’s Last Chance and provides regular commentaries on the Jeff Crouere YouTube channel and on Crouere.net. For more information, email him at [email protected].
