For about a half second the Republicans running for office in 2022 ran the risk of losing the midterms and thus avoiding what had looked previous to that point an unstoppable “red wave.”
In that same moment establishment types got seen looking like deer in headlights of an on-coming semi-truck. For that moment I felt a twitch that believed it was possible to lose, thus leaving the Marxists of the left unaccounted for.
It appears however that this won’t be the case with less than fifty days to go.
In order to insure what should be a natural midterm to balance power in DC, the top of the ticket must do two things.
Republicans must articulate America First policy with in-your face consistency. This shouldn’t be difficult, America First policies are what propelled President Trump to a big win in 2016, and the people’s representatives down ballot to big wins in 2020. The top of the 2020 ballot was fraught with enough questions about its anomalies a fool might argue that America First didn’t win there. But even if you do believe that Joe Biden, who couldn’t fill a parking lot with fifteen cars, completely smashed Donald Trump who didn’t even hold a rally that didn’t draw fifteen-thousand attendees—Trump still had record numbers of people casting more votes for an incumbent than had ever been cast previously.
The other thing GOP candidates must do is not be sucker punched into debating the Mar-A-Lago raid, Jan 6th, or even Trump’s justification for asking questions about 2020. )Get elected, get Congressional majorities in both houses then open up investigations into all of those things.)
It is exactly the issue of America First policy that voters are responding to. It is because America First candidates are embracing Trump’s core set of issues that they have been overwhelmingly successful in the primaries, and it is these issues that will bring them to a landslide in 2022. This will only happen as the candidates stay disciplined and stay on message.
I point to the top of the ticket because while Biden and Trump are both influencing the issues on some level, it is generally speaking the gubernatorial and U.S. Senate races that are proving the biggest reasons to get out and vote.
For their part the gubernatorial candidates are bringing the heat. This week Congressman Lee Zeldin, released a seven figure ad buy with a brilliant ad that takes nothing but footage from security cameras and for thirty seconds shows nothing but shootings and street violence. It’s graphic and fundamentally hits Democratic candidate Kathy Hochul for a crime issue that affects everyone. Her ad hits Zeldin “celebrating” the Dobbs’ decision, and tries to tie him to the chaos of the post 2020 elections.
With no answer to the expansion of dangerous crime on her watch there is no contest on which issue is more obviously striking a cord with voters. “Hochul’s New York is dangerous.” “Governor Zeldin will fire (woke prosecutor) Alvin Bragg.”
Kari Lake—in a moment that went viral—dismantled a reporter who was trying the odd tactic of trying to force an admission on whether people of color had a right to be afraid of police. In less than a minute she got the reporter to admit (in essence) that he had no source for the claim. She then proceeded to explain “people of every color want safe neighborhoods.” She didn’t waiver stammer or pause. She laid him out and the facts stood on their own.
Similarly Ron DeSantis had multiple viral soundbytes this week in which he called out the administration’s hypocrisy on immigration, their lack of national security policy, and their lack of backbone to do anything about it. He did it with humor. He did it winsomely. And he did it from strength.
Focusing on the issues real voters care about, and without distraction staying laser focused on how the current team is failing us will both motivate voters and turn them out all the way down the ballot.
Trump and Biden won’t be the deciding factors in this race. But their people will be pitted against one another. And their ultimate success will depend on how much those candidates confirm to voters that their lives will be better by fixing the mess that has been made.
If they do that, the red wave can not be stopped!