Dov S. Zakheim, National Interest: What Happened to that "Blue Wave"?
At best, there was a wavelet, not the much vaunted "Blue Wave."
There was no Blue Wave on Election Day. At best, there was a wavelet. The Democrats took the House, but the number of seats that “flipped” from Republican to Democrat was far lower than that of 2010, when the Democrats lost sixty-six seats, or for that matter, smaller than the average turnaround in a midterm election held after a new president had assumed office two years earlier.
President Donald Trump naturally has claimed victory, as everyone expected he would, unless Republicans had lost the Senate as well, which they did not. They added seats. The Democrats, and their supporters in the mainstream press and cable television, are crowing about the House. But just as Trump may be misreading his victory—he has yet to feel the pain of ceaseless House hearings and investigations of his conduct and that of his leading appointees—so the Democrats need to rethink just what the country was telling them.
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WNU Editor: When I went to bed last night I reflected on the results of the midterms and the only thought that went through my mind was .... why do people vote for politicians who promise to raise your taxes, and who are committed to limiting the driving forces for your economy (i.e. energy production, taxes, etc.). When I woke up this morning and reflected on the results .... a different view formed. When I looked at last night's results and the history of such elections .... the loss of Republican House seats was below the usual number that is lost in a midterm, and in the Senate the Republicans actually won a few seats while losing only one. Considering the massive advantage that the Democrats had in raising campaign funds, coupled with an overwhelmingly supportive media, the retirement of over 40 Republicans, and President Trump's negatives .... I can understand why expectations for a Blue Tsunami were there, and I can understand why many Democrats are not happy (if not angry) that it did not happen. The failure of not capturing the Senate must also be a huge disappointment for the Democrats. It is true that they had a large number of seats to defend, but these were incumbents, and they were supported by a vast machine of supporters and funds, while the Republicans had three open seats that were ripe for the taking. But the Democrats lost 3 Senators, and this now gives President Trump a great deal of leverage to make sure that his nominees for government posts, the cabinet, and for the courts will proceed without much trouble. And as for the Republican Senators who were President Trump's foes in the past .... they are now gone (McCain, Corker and Flake), and will not torpedo or block his agenda. I should also add the Republican Party is now unified behind President Trump. Those who supported President Trump were successful in their election bids, while many who opposed him were defeated. That is a message that I am sure many Republican insiders are going to take from this election.
As for the Democrats .... they now have an opportunity to govern and to show to the American public that they are a viable alternative to the Republicans. Unfortunately .... I do not see that happening. Many who won yesterday are hardcore progressives, and they are taking their election win as a mandate to go after President Trump. And while I do expect some of the "elders" in the Democrat Party will try restrain them, the problem is that their hatred towards President Trump is far more important to them than governing. This hatred also includes senior Democrat leaders who have made it very clear today on what they want to do .... Incoming Democrat Chairman: Dems Will Go ‘All-In’ On Russia, Impeach Kavanaugh For ‘Perjury’ (The Federalist). So get ready for the subpoenas, televised hearings, and investigations. Unless of course the White House decides to do an Eric Holder .... I BET DEMOCRATS ARE WISHING that Obama Attorney General Eric Holder had not set a precedent that the AG may simply ignore subpoenas from the House of Representatives. (Instapundit).
