2026 Midterm Elections

[Zoo_View]

Oh, yeah, I'm not discounting race as a factor as well. I was just replying to the notion that she mainly lost because Biden passed a bunch of legislation that pissed off enough "moderate" or "average" Americans (lol) that they surged to the polls to vote for Trump. I doubt 90% or more of voters in 2024 could recall a single damn piece of legislation that Biden got passed. What beat Kamala was her race, gender, the GOP's (and their media outlets) incessant yelling about inflation and how they would fix it right away, and the usual culture war bullshit about immigrant hordes overrunning (white) America and transgender something something.

Most polls show that most Democratic positions on culture war and economic issues are actually quite popular (in some cases very popular) with Americans. The problem is that too often they can't sell it - too many Democrats today could screw up the messaging for giving away free ice cream - and the GOP being able to hammer Democrats relentlessly on culture war topics with often little to no pushback from either Democrats or the media. Republicans all too often set the narrative in our campaigns and Democrats spend their time playing defense and catch up. They're not losing elections because of whatever bills they're proposing or pushing.

It’s not that the Democrats can’t sell moderate gun control or abortion rights as they were under Roe.

It’s that the bulk of “moderates” and “Independents” don’t give a shit about gun control or abortion rights, when push comes to shove.

Oh, they profess to support gun control, gay rights, abortion rights, environmental protections, banking regulations, etc.

But, in reality, they vote Magic R whenever the economy is squirrelly and a Democrat is in the White House.

If that means that Roe v Wade is overturned and the Republicans promise a tax cut, they’re good with gutting Roe, the EPA, CDC, NIH, etc.

Issues like gun control and pro-choice abortion rights are easily jettisoned if the price of eggs is too high.

 

[korgguy1971]

 

[Mulberry Heel]

I disagree about Sharrod Brown being status quo. He is more pro-working class than any Republican and many Democrats. While not a populist, he's a man of and for the people. No chance to confuse him with Chuck Schumer types.

That's good to know, but he's also 73 (and will turn 74 in November), has been in Ohio politics for a very long time, and lost his bid for a fourth term in 2024 by over 200,000 votes. He may well be more pro-blue collar and pro-working class than corporate Schumer types, but it's also going to be pretty easy for a younger GOP candidate to portray him, fairly or not, as an aging retread of tired, status quo DC politics. I don't doubt that he's a good man and was a good senator (no doubt he's much better than Vance or Vance's replacement), and he does have name recognition going for him, but appearances also matter, fairly or not. Hopefully if there's a blue wave he can ride it to victory, but given Ohio's hard-right, deep-red turn over the past decade it's going to be tough.