We’re back, and the 2018 elections are over. It’s a period of divided government. The Democrats retook the House, albeit with a slim majority, while the GOP increased their Senate majority. Jacky Rosen defeated incumbent Sen. Dean Heller (R-NV). In Montana, Sen. Jon Tester (D-MT) survived as well, but Sens. Heitkamp, Donnelly, and McCaskill all fell in North Dakota, Indiana, and Missouri respectively. Sen. Bill Nelson has a stay of execution in Florida. He’s trailing by a little over 34,500 votes, but it’s unlikely he will find enough votes to overcome Gov. Rick Scott’s lead. Martha McSally looks like she’ll hold Arizona for the GOP; Marsha Blackburn did the same in Tennessee. The GOP looks like they’ll have 54 Senate seats heading into the next Congress. Overall, the Democrats picked up 25-30 seats, seven governorships, and over 300 state legislature seats. Yes, there were gains, but hardly a blue wave. It certainly was not like the red waves in 2010 and 2014. These gains can and probably will be erased by 2020.
Now, the most annoying aspect from this Democratic House isn’t going to be policy; it’ll be the endless and pointless investigations into the Trump administrations. The subpoenas are already being prepped.
As the GOP does their autopsies, maybe Paul Ryan should have resigned ASAP instead of sticking around, which could have forced Democrats to back Pelosi for speaker. Millions were spent on VA-10, where Republican Barbara Comstock was trounced; the money could have gone to VA-07 and VA-02. The messaging was, at times, all over the place, especially on health care.
Let’s take it for what it is, folks. The Democrats made some gains. They can be reclaimed in two years. The GOP increased their majority in the Senate, which means Supreme Court and judicial nominations will breeze through. Spineless Sen. Jeff Flake (R-AZ) is gone; Beto O’Rourke has been defeated in Texas. I have no doubt that the Democrats will overreach.
BONUS: President Trump held a press conference on the 2018 midterms and preceded to towel slap CNN’s Jim Acosta, calling him a rude, terrible person, and that CNN should be ashamed to employ him. It was classic 2016 Trump. It’s why we voted for him; he fights back. It’s about time the Democrat-media complex got nervous, irritated, and made uncomfortable. They’re an insufferable cancer.
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