While control of the House of Representatives is still unclear, there are clear winners and losers from the mid-term elections of 2022.\u00a0\u00a0The big winner is Joe Biden, who managed to dodge what all the commentators and pollsters saw as a looming \u201cRed Wave\u201d.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u201cSleepy Joe\u201d Biden out-foxed them all, placing democracy and personal rights at the head of the Democratic agenda.\u00a0\u00a0All of the commentators \u201cin the know\u201d knew the election was all about inflation, crime and the border, the Republican talking points.\u00a0\u00a0But they didn\u2019t \u201cknow\u201d as much as they thought they did.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Those commentators were\u00a0\u00a0misogynistic and lacked belief in the American people.\u00a0\u00a0The \u201call knowing ones\u201d thought that women, with new voter registration in record numbers, would forget all about the\u00a0Dodds\u00a0<\/em>abortion decision and instead vote solely on inflation.\u00a0\u00a0And they thought that Americans in general were so short-memoried, that the Insurrection of January 6th<\/sup>\u00a0<\/em>wouldn\u2019t matter. As it turned out, both those issues did.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The biggest loser of the day was Donald Trump, the twice impeached and disgraced former President of the United States. With a few exceptions (sadly, one here in Ohio) Trump anointed candidates fell flat. In Michigan and Arizona, where the full slate of Republican statewide candidates were election deniers, the Trumpers were completely turned away. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Trump announced his third run for the Presidency last night.\u00a0\u00a0Two weeks ago that probably made some “Trump” sense (if Trump ever makes sense).\u00a0\u00a0Anticipating a \u201cRed Wave\u201d election with his chosen candidates doing well, Trump could strike quickly to retain the leadership of the Republican Party, and demand loyalty in another bid for power.\u00a0\u00a0All of the air would be out of the political room, and other Republican Presidential hopefuls, most notably Ron DeSantis of Florida, would immediately be on the defensive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n But Trump now announced at his point of greatest weakness.\u00a0\u00a0That, of course, still makes \u201cTrump Sense\u201d.\u00a0\u00a0When you’re losing, there\u2019s nothing better than acting like a winner.\u00a0\u00a0He\u2019s creating a whole tale, where he is the \u201conly One\u201d the people trust.\u00a0\u00a0\u201cOnly He\u201d can fix the nation\u2019s so-called problems. We\u2019ve heard this song before.\u00a0\u00a0To make the point, he\u2019ll say that as the election results show, there\u2019s no one else that can fill his shoes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n But Trump has two more pressing reasons to begin a Presidential campaign, right now.\u00a0\u00a0The first is money.\u00a0\u00a0The disgraced former President is facing enormous legal fees, defending against two Federal investigations, two state investigations, and several civil suits.\u00a0\u00a0The Republican National Committee is finally refusing to pay for Trump\u2019s legal bills, and he needs a ready source of money to defend himself.\u00a0\u00a0There\u2019s no easier way to raise money than to offer to his assembled masses the opportunity to \u201cMake America Great Again\u201d by contributing to the\u00a0 And by declaring for President now, Trump puts added pressure on the Department of Justice.\u00a0\u00a0No American President has ever been indicted for a crime after he left office.\u00a0\u00a0Nixon was set for indictment, but his successor President Ford pardoned him before charges could be brought.\u00a0\u00a0And while some considered indicting George W Bush for allowing torturing of captured terrorists, President Obama nixed that idea.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n Attorney General Merrick Garland is a man of precedent.\u00a0\u00a0He would have made a solid \u201cmiddle\u201d in the US Supreme Court, a \u201cleftier\u201d John Roberts (but Mitch McConnell never let him be considered).\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0There is no precedent for indicting a former President.\u00a0\u00a0So it will take a mountain of evidence, an irresistible force of material, to push Garland to indict Trump.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n By declaring for President now, Trump will add more friction to that decision.\u00a0\u00a0Garland is loath to interfere in domestic politics.\u00a0\u00a0Department of Justice policy discourages bringing charges within sixty days of an election, and even though the 2024 election is more like sixty hundred and fifty days away; Garland will have to consider that factor as well \u2013 and Trump knows it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Meanwhile other Republican leaders are busy \u201ccovering their bases\u201d.\u00a0\u00a0Potential candidate Ted Cruz suggests other candidates, including himself, before Trump.\u00a0\u00a0But he would support Trump if nominated, and John Cornyn says the same.\u00a0\u00a0Lindsay Graham is already singing the praises of Trump\u2019s dark message of American carnage.<\/p>\n\n\n\nLosers<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Other Reasons<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Trump Legal Defense Fund<\/s>, the Trump 2024 Campaign Fund.<\/p>\n\n\n\nDepartment of Justice<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Cover Their Base<\/h3>\n\n\n\n