2026 Midterm Elections

[Mulberry Heel]

Nearly every poll shows that actual GOP policies are highly unpopular with most of the public, and getting more so. That hasn't stopped them from winning elections thanks to culture-war issues, Democratic campaign failures, and a superior GOP campaign organization that plans long-term (think Project 2025) and which has deep pockets and an increasingly friendly/bosiding news media to support their campaigns. But once they actually get elected, in the 21st Century they've turned out to be incompetent at governing and gradually alienate more and more people, which leads to major defeats, first in off-year elections and then presidential elections. It happened in Dubya's second term in the 2006 midterms and then with Obama's election in 2008. It happened in Trump's first term in the 2018 midterms and then with Biden defeating him in 2020. And now it's happening again this year. Republicans are a very effective out-of-power party in opposition, but as a governing party they've been a disaster since Dubya's first term, because their policies don't work for most people and are usually enforced by incompetent bunglers.

Having said that, the memory of the average modern voter is about that of a housefly, so as soon as a Democratic president enters office the GOP immediately goes back on the offensive, pretends that every disaster they've dumped onto the Democratic president's lap is not their fault or doing, and too many voters with amnesia forget just how awful the previous GOP administration was and start voting them back into office again. It's a vicious cycle, and has been going on since Clinton's presidency.

 

[heelinhell]

Nearly every poll shows that actual GOP policies are highly unpopular with most of the public, and getting more so. That hasn't stopped them from winning elections thanks to culture-war issues, Democratic campaign failures, and a superior GOP campaign organization that plans long-term (think Project 2025) and which has deep pockets and an increasingly friendly/bosiding news media to support their campaigns. But once they actually get elected, in the 21st Century they've turned out to be incompetent at governing and gradually alienate more and more people, which leads to major defeats, first in off-year elections and then presidential elections. It happened in Dubya's second term in the 2006 midterms and then with Obama's election in 2008. It happened in Trump's first term in the 2018 midterms and then with Biden defeating him in 2020. And now it's happening again this year. Republicans are a very effective out-of-power party in opposition, but as a governing party they've been a disaster since Dubya's first term, because their policies don't work for most people and are usually enforced by incompetent bunglers.

Having said that, the memory of the average modern voter is about that of a housefly, so as soon as a Democratic president enters office the GOP immediately goes back on the offensive, pretends that every disaster they've dumped onto the Democratic president's lap is not their fault or doing, and too many voters with amnesia forget just how awful the previous GOP administration was and start voting them back into office again. It's a vicious cycle, and has been going on since Clinton's presidency.

I have said it over and over that the GQP is a savvy and ruthless opposition party, but they are a clueless and horrible governing party.
The Democratic party is an excellent governing party, but is horrible as a messaging opposition party and never miss an opportunity to miss an opportunity...but maybe that is beginning to change ?

 

[RockyMtnHoo]

Yep, over the years, with right wing media, they’ve mastered convincing people that when things are good under Dems, that the country is falling apart. And when it’s falling apart under Pub leadership, that it’s actually better than it is and where it is bad, is the Dems fault.