Giddy
It’s the only word to describe how the National Democrats feel this week. They are “giddy”; and “giggly”, “gleeful” almost “goofy”, and any other “g” word you’d like to use. They (we) were set up by National pollsters, the prognosticators at places like 538, Real Clear Politics, and The Cook Political Report. Dems foresaw disaster. They anticipated that middle of the night election 2016 feeling, when the world stopped, the pit in our stomachs grew deeper than the fabled “Blue Hole”, and the glass ceiling of the Javit’s Center remained completely intact.
But it didn’t happen this time. Democrats will probably maintain control of the Senate, albeit by a single vote. That’s important though. As we’ve seen aplenty, control of the Senate means control of Federal Court appointments. In two years, President Biden already appointed a record number of Federal judges, including one Supreme Court Justice. If Dems continue to control the Senate, that pace can continue, countering McConnell and Federalist Society’s Court Packing of the Trump Administration.
What’s the difference? Trump appointed judges are doing the Federalist Society’s bidding throughout the nation. Look at Judge Cannon in Fort Pierce, running interference for the Trump legal team in the classified documents case, or Judge Pittman in Fort Worth, blocking the student loan forgiveness program. It’s not just about Supreme Court Justices; there’s a lot of “undoing” throughout the system that’s required to regain balance. President Biden and Leader Schumer are on that task.
The House
It does look like Democrats will lose control of the House, though that’s not certain. It takes 218 members to control; those self-same prognosticators estimate that Republicans will have between 213 and 227, and Democrats will have between 208 and 222 seats. The odds favor Republicans, though I’m hoping for the error of the “Red Tsunami” that never came. Since it will ultimately depend on the California election results, we may not even know until December. But Democratic control would allow for two more years of trying to preserve the Voting Rights Act and putting Roe v Wade into Federal law; things that the last Congress failed to do.
If Republicans do take charge by the narrowest of margins, it looks like they’ll do everything they can to get “pay backs” for the last two years of the Trump Administration. We can expect show-trial hearings on Hunter Biden, Anthony Fauci, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and possibly even a move to impeach the President himself. And while all of that will be anguished and futile, fodder to the MAGA base, it will serve an important purpose.
The Republican Congress of “Getting Even” will create a contrast to the American people. The Democrats in the past two years passed law after law, improving the infra-structure, creating jobs, helping more Americans enjoy the economic successes of the nation. Some of those laws were almost universally acclaimed, others broke on strictly partisan lines. But one thing we can say about Speaker Pelosi’s 117th Congress – another “G” word. They tried to govern. Sure there was the January 6th Committee hearings – but Democrats definitely “walked and chewed gum” at the same time. And isn’t that why we send Congressmen to Washington?
Crazy
So Democrats might take solace that, if Speaker McCarthy (shudder) has the gavel, we will see Benghazi Hearings on steroids. We will get Jim Jordan’s snark and Marjorie Taylor (Green’s) babble, Paul Gosar’s ramblings and, just by a whisker, Lauren Bobert’s craziness. McCarthy will be forced to submit to their whims. His margin will be so narrow, that the “crazies” will have ultimate authority. If Republicans thought that AOC and “the Squad” had influence, just wait and see what the MAGA gang will do.
All of that will be uncomfortable and unfair, and incredibly frustrating. But it will also set up the 2024 campaign. If there’s one message that’s loud and clear from the 2022 election results, it’s the national repudiation of crazy. And what seems inevitable is that a Republican run 118th House of Representatives will be nothing but that – crazy.
And that’s why Democrats are giddy. If by some minor miracle they retain control of the House, there’s plenty of work to do. Whether Speaker Pelosi remains, or the transition to the “next generation” finally begins, Democrats will continue to govern. That would be a “win”. But if the Republicans control the House, there’s a “win” there too. And that will be a “win” in 2024.
