In the United States’ midterm elections last week, the Democratic party Blue Wave hit the Red Wall of President Donald Trump’s neo-Republican power base.
The Republicans strengthened their hold in the U.S. Senate, and limited Democratic gains in the 35 state governor elections. And Trump cemented his autocratic control of the Republican party.
However, an election widely described as the most consequential in recent history begins a new era in American political and cultural life.
The Democrats seized command of the House of Representatives and with it, the investigative power to subpoena, to impeach the president, and obstruct the Senate’s will.
The result ended one-party rule by a Republican Congress dancing to Donald Trump’s tune.
“We were on the road to autocracy with no obvious way off,” said Harvard economist Paul Krugman on the eve of the election. That threat has been averted.
The Republican party won the battle Nov. 6, but now is on the defensive and losing the war.
American federal politics for the next two years will be bloody, fractious and mean-spirited, with a president at war with the House of Representatives, the Democratic party and the media, struggling to continue building an isolationist culture and economy with no spirit of generosity and no political scrutiny, transparency or accountability.
The result threatens ratification of the USMCA trade deal. The Democratic House may reject labour and environmental terms in the deal, or ratification may be delayed in the legislative gridlock.
Newly-elected Mexican leftist President López Obrador won’t ratify the deal unless Trump lifts steel and aluminum tariffs just imposed on imports, and the Democratic majority in the House is expected to agree.
Trump went on defence a day after the election, clashing with the media at a turbulent 90-minute press briefing at which he called out questioners for being rude and seized CNN’s White House press pass.
Two hours after the briefing, he fired Attorney General Jeff Session and replaced him with Matthew Whitaker, who is a critic of special counsel Robert Mueller who is probing Trump’s Russian ties.
The Democrats won the popular vote in all races combined by 54 - 47 per cent.
They out-fundraised the Republicans.
There was a record $5.2 billion in election expenses in all races, including $2.6 billion on House and Senate campaigns and $2.6 billion on other races – 35 state governors and a score of state-level ballot initiatives (referendums) such as the legalization of marijuana in Michigan and voting rights for ex-felons in Florida.
The Democrats and their political allies raised $3 billion – $800 million more than the Trump forces.
The Democratic coalition was made up of young people, minorities, women, seniors, the affluent, college-educated and suburbanites – a big tent with growth potential.
The House of Representatives, which takes office in January, includes 100 women, Muslims, native Americans, LGBTs, Latinos and blacks.
“We are not interested in left or right but in the politics of right and wrong, said Antonio Delgado, a biracial New York state congressman.
Trump’s “rally” of rural, small-town, nationalist, white, farmer and blue collar has less growth potential.
The millennials, generation Xers and post-millennials who are drawn to the Democrats form the majority of America’s 200 million registered voters and also a majority of the 100 million who voted on Nov. 9.
What the Democrats need to win the presidency back is a new leader who speaks with the voice of the younger, browner, cooler party.
– Frank Dabbs is a veteran political journalist and author.
