The Blue Wave Survival Guide
Republicans would be wise to prepare for life after the November mid-term elections because things are shaping up nicely for congressional Democrats. Wave elections that sweep an out-party into shared power are predictable because they are routine - and don’t count on Trump pulling this one out. Likewise, Democrats should not read more into this than an electorate load-leveling power after the butt-kicking delivered in 2016. So how can Republicans cope?
They should continue their robust advocacy on behalf of American workers and businesses, as well as their defense of individual liberty and constitutional authority. Republicans can rest assured Democrats will over-play their control of the House, further angering red-state Republicans and main-street moderates. As you will read, this sets the Republicans up for 2020, when the conservative blow-out resumes.
Democrats will recklessly go after the president, launching articles of impeachment in January 2019. Because it takes a two-thirds majority in the Senate to remove Trump from office (Democrats will not win 66 seats) the impeachment process will be limited to (1) lots of vilification in committee, (2) far-left floor speeches, as well as (3) left-leaning media saturation that will be too forward-looking (ex: How Will a Pence White House Differ?). Because Trump mathematically cannot be impeached, the air will slowly hiss out of the far-left balloon. This is why impeachment talk is fool’s gold and reckless.
Democrat bloodlust will invite liberals and progressives to compete for ever-escalating sound bites that demonize Trump to frightening extremes. In response, conservatives will rally and moderates will distance themselves from Democrats. The 2020 math does not favor Democrats in this scenario. Sixty-five percent of Americans are either conservative, moderate or center-left – and many on the center-left are working class or Christian or Southern or Midwestern. Center-left Democrats still stand for the national anthem. Christian Democrats still resent people of faith being demonized. Working-class Americans still want changes to free trade and immigration. None of these voters will support impeachment (unless Mueller proves beyond a reasonable doubt a Trump-Putin rigged election).
Having complete (but superficial) Republican control did not really help President Trump, because he is not a pointed-headed conservative policy wonk. If Democrats control the House, he is apt to compromise on immigration reform and an infrastructure bill - because he loves negotiating. Come on - this president just made friends with Rocket Man. And here's the DNC's Achilles heel: any bipartisan legislation that comes out of Congress accrues into Trump’s victory column – not Schumer’s or Pelosi’s. This will not be lost on the aforementioned 65 percent, who will wonder, why have they so demonized this man? Let’s call this 65 percent the Middling Americans (a nod to Benjamin Franklin).
As Democrats head into 2020, the emperor’s clothes effect will take hold. After Middling Americans get an earful of Elizabeth Warren, Corey Booker, Kamala Harris and Bernie Sanders, they will understand the DNC platform offers very little support for Main Street and blue-collar workers, regardless of ethnicity. In fact, a majority of Americans will be turned off by the plethora of unproven-and-unaffordable theories promoted during the primary debates. The 2020 DNC hopefuls are the real Democrats – and their agendas are patently un-American.
A conservative/center-right wave is coming in 2020 because 80 percent of the counties in America are still seething over progressive social positions (anti-Christian) and liberal immigration policies (anti-working class). On the flip side, these same counties have observed firsthand how maganomics created better-paying jobs and more business starts. For the first time in 18 years they are optimistic about their future prospects – and they know neither Obama nor Clinton made that happen.
So - - let Democrats pop champagne corks and dance this November: it means nothing. The underlying fundamentals still invite Republican optimism. Trump is a known entity. Today, his demeanor and mistakes will encourage swing voters to re-set Congress based on Democrats' speculation. However, by 2020, swing voters will compare and contrast Trump's responses to Democrat's proposals. Above all, Democrats with gavels are not a pretty sight - because 2020 will totally be about the economy, stupid!