Kitchen Table
Some Republican candidates in the mid-terms had it right. They weren’t talking about the 2020 election, or the Insurrection, or supposed FBI over-reach. They made “kitchen table” arguments. Inflation is too high, it’s eating up gains in income and making living harder. Urban crime is increasing. In fact, homicides and rapes are down, but armed robberies and assaults are up (USA). But those facts aren’t the “feelings” of suburban voters, who worry about going “into” the city, or having the city come “out” to them.
Those were the more successful Republican candidates in the last election. The election-denying, QAnon echoing candidates were the ones who lost. And while Democrats might feel good about retaining control of the Senate and several state governorships, in the final result, Republicans eked out control of the House of Representatives. Speaker Pelosi will have to pass the gavel to, probably, Kevin McCarthy, and take her place as a “back-bench” Democratic member.
With two years to prove their worth as a governing faction, you’d think House Republicans would be talking about their plans to reduce inflation and crime. Their “first impression” as a governing Party should be about the issues that got them elected to office in the first place. That is the “quid-pro-quo” that voters expect: you gain the vote by your promises of action, now act.
But that’s not what’s happening.
About Hunter
“Keep it about Hunter Biden. This is kind of a big deal we think. If we can keep it about Hunter Biden, that would be great.” – James Comer (R) of Kentucky (press conference, 11/17/22).
Republican Congressmen Jim Jordan and James Comer held a press conference yesterday. Jordan expects to be Chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, and Comer Chairman of the House Oversight Committee. Comer made it clear: the first priority of “his” Committee will be the investigation of Hunter Biden, the son of President Joe Biden. And Jordan also set his priority: supposed FBI “overreach” in investigating the twice-impeached former President and the January 6th rioters.
The Republican priorities are crystal clear.
In 2012, Republicans also controlled the House of Representatives. They used their committee chairmanships to lead six different investigations into the death of US Ambassador Chris Stevens and three other Americans in an attack on the US embassy in Benghazi, Libya. The investigations cost Americans more than $6.5 million over the next four years (WAPO).
The Benghazi hearings were used as a cudgel to beat former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. And while Secretary Clinton ultimately testified to the committee for eleven hours straight, responding to every question; an off-shoot of the investigation found that she had a private e-mail server for part of her electronic correspondence. That became a huge campaign issue in 2016, and the FBI investigation of it undoubtedly cost her the election, and cost America the four year Presidency of Donald Trump.
So while Americans might wish that the Republicans “in charge” would deal with the serious problems of the country; it’s more likely we will be fed a steady diet of Hunter Biden, Anthony Fauci, and “how bad” the FBI is. None of that will “Make America Great (Again)”, but what it will do is further polarize the nation, in hopes that Trump, or one of his indistinguishable substitutes, can get elected President in 2024.
Democratic Response
What can Democrats do? They can hope that instead of repeating the history of 2016, Biden and Congressional leadership can replicate the history of 1996. In 1994 Republicans took over the House of Representatives, and their actions gave Democrats a perfect “foil” to build Bill Clinton’s position to retain the Presidency against Kansas Senator Robert Dole. Clinton focused on making the House, and particularly Speaker Newt Gingrich, the “bad guy” in the government. He was able to successfully do that, particularly when Gingrich took credit for shutting the government down for three weeks over a budget issue.
You can be sure that Democrats will be talking about abortion rights and Medicare and Social Security and even budget issues; as Republicans desperately search through Hunter Biden’s laptop for scandal and crime. It will be up to the American people to determine which is more important.
