Hello all! Before I get into my current event post I wanted to take a minute and address your current event comments due on August 5th. Many of you have asked if you can comment on a classmates post, and I've decided that you will be allowed to comment on a classmate's current event post and earn credit. In addition, you can comment on my current event post below and earn credit that way. It has been a crazy couple of weeks in the world of American politics and those of you who have posted have done an excellent job covering much of it! Keep it up!
On to my current event post...
As I'm sure you know, this year is an election year - one of the most important and exciting times in politics. If you weren't aware it was an election year it's probably because this is a congressional election year and not a presidential election year. Why does this make a difference you might ask, well since the middle 1970s research has shown that Americans are generally less interested in congressional elections (AKA midterm elections) than presidential elections. If history is a guide, then this lack of interest should mean there will be fewer voters who will actually participate and vote in the upcoming elections.
However, this congressional election is showing signs of being an unusual one. Many of the so-called experts are predicting this election as a high turnout election (an election where more voters than usual participate) and an election that might flip control of Congress from the Republicans to the Democrats.
From The Hill:
Almost 100 days before November’s midterm elections, Democrats and Republicans are certain of one thing: An energized electorate across the country is poised to lead to a surge in turnout at the polls.
But in a dynamic news atmosphere and with billions of dollars in candidate and outside spending yet to be spent, both parties are nervous about their own prospects, almost fearful of what is still to come.
The conversation voters are having today is almost certainly not what will dominate their minds on Election Day. One hundred days may be a lifetime in a typical political cycle, but in an atmosphere when news coverage swings from a border crisis to relations with Russia to tweeted threats at Iran in the space of two weeks, it is an eternity.
Interviews with more than three dozen elected officials, strategists, pollsters and party activists in both parties as Sunday’s 100-day mark approaches reveal a deeply unsettled landscape.
But both sides say they would rather be in the Democrats’ position: History argues for Democratic gains, because a president’s first midterm typically goes poorly for his party.
The next one hundred days promises to be filled with political twists and turns that are impossible to predict. However, politics is often about prediction and discussion so below are some articles that should help you discuss the upcoming midterms and make some predictions as well.
Parties face excited midterm electorate with reservations - from The Hill
Here comes that blue wave - from The Week
Here comes that blue wave - from The Week
A Democratic Blue Wave? Don’t Forget the Republicans’ Big Hill - from The New York Times
What Some Early, High-Quality Polls Can Tell Us About The Race For The House - from FiveThirtyEight.com
CNN Key Races (scroll down to find it) - from CNN.com
Questions for Discussion:
- Which issues or current events will be the most important to voters when they vote in November? (Think, healthcare, taxes, Russian election hacking, tariffs, the Supreme Court nominee, etc)
- Which issue that seems important now will lose importance to voters by the election in November?
- Will turnout in the midterm elections continue to drop or will it be unusually high this time?
- Will the Democrats take back the House? What about the Senate?
Finally...
I will be limiting my current event posts to 1 every 2 weeks from now on because I don't want to steal your current event topics with my posts. There is sure to be plenty to write about, especially after President Trump's shocking press conference with Vladimir Putin of Russia, the recent indictments from Mueller investigation, or the upcoming midterm elections However, I want to leave these things for you to write about. The lesson here for all of you then, is if you see a current event that interests you - write about it! Don't wait until the end of the month to post a current event on Trump's press conference with Putin- do it now! While it's still relevant!
As midterm elections come the real question that everybody is wondering is if Democrats will take back Congress. However, my question is How did they lose it? I did some background research and discovered Democrats had complete control of Congress back in 2009-2011, when Obama was president. From this article, https://www.cbsnews.com/news/why-democrats-lost-the-house-to-republicans/ I had discovered Independent voters played a HUGE role in the switch to the Republicans being in charge, and due to many people who stopped voting, The Republicans had got back Congress and have had it ever since. Back then issues such as the Arab Spring and Healthcare were a big role in midterm elections. Now, 2018, the biggest issue that will be in the mind of the voters is taxes. The voters will want taxes to be lowered and affordable. By the time it is November, the new Supreme Court nominee will be passed over along with the Russian hacking. Republicans have had Congress for this long and even though some seats are being switched around, people will still vote for Republicans, and follow in the footsteps of our Republican president, Trump. The past couple of years midterm elections have been low outcomes, and this year will be no different. Most Americans will skip over this election, and a low voting count will be the turn out. Even if Democrats believe they have a chance to regain the office, Independent voters will probably overrule just like they did in 2011, which will benefit the Republican party, and keep them in Congress.
ReplyDeleteI like that you did some background research, but be careful. The article you included is from 2010 and may not have much bearing on the midterm elections in 2018 (which are shaping up to be unusual. Also, you say, "Now, 2018, the biggest issue that will be in the mind of the voters is taxes. The voters will want taxes to be lowered and affordable." The Republicans and Trump already passed a tax plan cut taxes so they can't cut them again - the real question will be about whether or not the tax cut they passed is helping out workers or not. If it isn't then that might help the Democrats.
DeleteWhen the election comes around people need to think about what they want from the person they are voting for. What kind of policies they feel comfortable enforcing and making sure they know all the facts before voting. The issue they will have to consider less is immigration. The issue will already be immigration. It is the most talked about topic but I believe people can not base there entire view on a candidate do to their one view on one topic. People need to look at that but also look at more policies like the role they want the government to play in day to day life and things of that sort. I also believe the turnout of voters will be higher do to many people being unhappy with the government as of today. People want to do more to make a difference.
ReplyDeleteNoah,
DeleteYou're comment is too vague and doesn't seem to connect to any of the articles I posted as source material for your comment. Remember I am looking for more than just your opinion, I want to see you do some analysis of the articles I post.
The incoming “wave” of democrats will also pose as a threat to the rest of the republican party. As it stands now the republicans are the majority in the house and now with the incoming democratic politicians has many republicans trying to push policies through before they are met with heavy resistance from the democrats. In my opinion this could be bad for Trump and the rest of his supporters because the policies he will want to enforce will come with misting an army of democrats.
DeleteBefore I looked into predictions for the election, I wanted to know where the house and senate stands now. Currently, the House of Representatives is made up of 236 Republicans, 193 Democrats, and 6 vacancies. In the Senate, there are 51 Republicans, 47 Democrats, and 2 independents. (http://clerk.house.gov/member_info/cong.aspx) It’s clear that the Democrats have a ways to go to regain some Democrat members. Sometimes, the makeup of the house and senate depends on the president: Republican president, mostly Republican house and senate, Democratic president, mostly Democratic house and senate. I’m thinking that this midterm election will continue with this pattern, meaning Republicans would still have majority control of the house and senate. Many predictions show Democrats making a comeback, but I don’t think it will be enough to completely take over the Republicans. I think the turnout for this November’s midterms election will be very high. I Believe the Democrats will be working very hard to take back the house and senate and many people would like to see this happening. However, many people would not like to see this happening as well. I believe as many Democrats as possible will be voting to take back control of the senate and house and as many Republicans as possible will be voting to keep control of the senate and house. Overall, I do not think the Democrats will be able to gain control of the house or senate again, but may be able to gain more members and make it so Republican majority will not be as much over Democrats as it was before the election. Voters will be paying attention to healthcare, particularly how the new healthcare from the Trump Administration differs from Obamacare. Whether or not people like the change and other changes since President Trump has come to office will greatly affect the way people vote.
ReplyDeleteI love that you did some research to see where the current House and Senate sit, but be careful with your conclusions. If this many experts are saying the Democrats have a really good chance to take back the House, I'd be inclined to believe them. For example, "Many predictions show Democrats making a comeback, but I don’t think it will be enough to completely take over the Republicans. I think the turnout for this November’s midterms election will be very high." High turnout elections usually help Democrats (who have the edge in voter registration nationwide).
DeleteUs citizens of this country enjoy many rights that were given to us by our founding fathers. However, one right that we get to exercise doesn't exist in many other places in the world; we can choose who is in power. With elections coming up in November, us Americans can vote on who will be taking part in our government, more specifically the House of Representatives and the Senate. Currently, the Republicans are in control, however many believe that this shall change soon. First off, most likely the issues that will be important come November are taxes and healthcare. Less taxes means more money for yourself and private needs, however less money for the government to spend on public needs. Therefore this is a hot topic every election year. Also, healthcare or universal aid has been debated between the two political parties for decades and there is no reason why this would change as well. The issue that will soon lose it's importance to votes come election time will be the Russian hacking scandal. This is true because this tension between the United States and Russia will cool off as more time passes after the event occurred. Interest is often lost in an event after much time passes, so Americans will not be as concerned with this. I do believe that this election will have a higher turnout rate then usual. This is because the democrats are making a surge to take the House and the Senate from the Republicans who control it currently. Many are unhappy with President Trump and want to see a change. Voting in this election could be their opportunity. Finally, I do believe that the Democrats will make a comeback this November, winning many of the House and Senate seats. However, they will not have total control, but rather it will be mostly split between the two parties. The Republicans have a decent margin of lead over the Democrats and it would be extremely difficult for a total flip of power to occur. That being said, this equal division of power may lead to complications in terms of getting things done in the capitol, which may be bad news for us Americans.
ReplyDeleteThe midterm elections for this year will cause a major turnabout on either the democratic side or will give the republicans an even more leverage over the democrats. But these results can only be changed depending on the voters. If Us citizens want to make a great change with how the Trump administration is running our country then this year's votes can help the democratic party get back more power from the House and the Senate. Voters this year will more than likely vote for changes in the tax situations since taxes have greatly increased over these last few years. But, in this article,http://www.latimes.com/politics/la-na-pol-midterm-election-poll-20180620-story.html#, it states that the number one voters interest is President Donald Trump. With this also increases the chances of the democratic party a comeback. Due to the Trump administration and Trump himself making an infamous name of themselves with the immigrated families events and Trump's recent impolite comments towards other countries they will almost certainly be punished by the voters. As well as President Trump has also deliberately forsaken every single opportunity he has been given to speak or govern in ways that might mollify his opponents or build a broader coalition, as stated by the week article. With him worsening himself and his administration it only redouble's the democratic voters determination to change Trump's misrule over the country and try to get the Us back into how it was before Trump's reign. With that being said, I do believe that this will be the start of the Democratic party's pursuit into getting back their power in the House and the Senate. The only reason I said it's the start and not a definite win for them is due to the Republicans still having a major supporting base compared to the democrats only now growing base. With stated in the LA times,Republicans have a strong lead on the generic ballot, 57%-34%, among white voters who did not graduate from college. Democrats have a smaller edge, 53%-41%, among whites who have a college degree. They have large margins among Latino (63%-30%) and African American (77%-16%) voters. Democrats also have a strong lead (57%-37%) among voters younger than 35; voters 35 and older split closely between the two parties. So with the exat numbers republicans still have the higher votes but even then Democrat voters have a more diverse voting base than the republicans which can be the edge that democrats need to get back their place in the house and in the senate. Personally, I do wish for the democratic party to be restored and change recent events that are worsing our country. So that in the future each side has an equal amount of choice and power to help our country and our citizens for a long time not to cover up something for it to just come back again.
ReplyDeleteGreat job analyzing the polling data and adding some outside research - well done!
DeleteI totally agree with you that due to Trump making an infamous name for himself, voters will not want his party to have total control of Congress and will almost certainly want to "punish" his party by voting for Democrats. He is his own worst enemy.
DeleteWith the upcoming elections, citizens really need to think about our future. We need to ask ourselves if we really think that the person we are voting for will benefit us any way. Are their promises going to made or broken once they get in position? While it is important to ask these questions what does everyone in the country really want? While Trump is president many have become irritated with the government and have made many movements to get him out of office. This may affect polls because voters may lean more and more towards the democratic side to counteract Trumps issues he is creating. With that said I agree with Justine Lewicki that taxes will be on most people’s mind. With our country being in huge debt it worries people that our taxes may become more and more expensive. Many people cannot even pay their taxes now let alone more and higher ones. Yet by the time elections come around many people will be less focused on the Russian hacking unless a major breakthrough happens. Due to polls taken recently I think that Democrats will take back the House because even just in one example Senator John Manchin is 10 points ahead of his Republican opponent. Things may be looking up for the Democrats, but nothing is set in stone until Election Day. The country is in for many political whirlwinds.
ReplyDeleteThe 2018 United States election will be held on Tuesday, November 6, 2018.The midterm elections will take place in the middle of Republican President Donald Trump's term. All of the 435 seats in the United States House of Representatives and 35 of the 100 seats in the United States Senate will be debated.The issues that will be of most concern to voters will be health care, the economy, trade tariffs, the cruel immigration policy of family separations, and the strange willingness of President Trump to work with Russia’s Vladimir Putin. The issue of confirming the Supreme Court Justice nominee, Brett Kavanaugh will most likely lose importance by the time the election takes place in November. It’s more likely that the midterm election turnout will drop because the younger voters will be less interested in these elections than they were in the presidential election. If the President, however, continues to do random outrageous things that upset the American people, it is possible that the turnout in midterm elections will be unusually high. This would be unpredictable and perhaps unfavorable for the Republicans seeking office.The Democrats have a good chance to win back the House based on past midterm election results when the party outside the White House has been able to balance the president’s power as in 2006, 2010 and 2014. There is a slimmer chance that the Democrats will overtake the Senate, because only 10 Democratic Senators and 8 Republican Senators are seeking re-election.
ReplyDelete" The issue of confirming the Supreme Court Justice nominee, Brett Kavanaugh will most likely lose importance by the time the election takes place in November" be careful, this depends on if or when he is confirmed by the Senate.
Delete"If the President, however, continues to do random outrageous things that upset the American people, it is possible that the turnout in midterm elections will be unusually high" do you think this is likely to happen? Has there be a time in Trump's year and a half in office when he's "laid low"?
Advantage Dems?
With the election coming up in November I feel that there will be a lot of issues and current events that will be talked about. Some issues I feel people will talk about more are taxes. I feel like this because people now a days want to get items that they need for a cheap price and don’t want to spend much money so people will be seeing for a change. Also I feel that healthcare will be a hot topic as well because people want a good healthcare and something that will help them. And not cost a lot of money for them but will also support them. I also feel that the trump issue with Russia will be talked about because will people think he really didn’t win and was helped. Which then might go against republicans because trump is one. One issue people have now that I feel will loose topic by the election is immigration. I feel this way because people want to be safe and not feel like they are. Also immigration probably won’t stop in the near future so they will want a way to stop it. But they do not want to pat money for a wall that may not even prevent it. I feel that the turnout in this election will be low again this year. I feel this because last year was a low turnout and many people today are too lazy to get out and vote. Plus people could not like the candidates running and will not vote for people they won’t want. I have done research from the Vox and the “Democrats have a 12 point lead right now going into the election. And will need 7 points to win back the House.” But before the republicans were winning and now the democrats are. So I feel that they do have a chance. But this could change since there is a republican in office now who would be Donald trump. Overall I believe the democrats will win but it will be hard for them.
ReplyDeleteAs the election approaches, people need to be aware of who they are voting for, because it can truly change the way they think about the government. People need to be educated on the way the government works and what things could need improving. People today are mostly affected by taxes and the other things that directly affect them. Most people don't think of what goes on outside that, like immigration and the children being separated from their parents at borders. The people will be more focused on the bigger events like the russian hacking conspiracy, or the Trump-Putin press conference. I think that the popularity of the mid term vote is going to drop as people are more concerned with the controversial decisions made by the government. It is proven in the graph that the presidential election gets a lot more attention than the mid term election. I think that the democrats will take back the power because many people have thought of Trump's bad decisions and won't want a republican.
ReplyDeleteThe issue of the accusations of the Russian hacking in the 2016 presidential election will be most important to the voters in November because the media has been covering this since the election and haven’t let go of it. Also, President Trumps recent meetings with Russia are just feeding the media to make more accusations and alter the voters views and opinions. I don’t believe that any issue is going to loose dramatic importance by November because issues such as immigration control, taxes, healthcare haven’t lost any importance since the 2016 election. The elections on November will also have an unusually high turnout due to the fact that more millennialist are becoming more involved with politics and therefore will start to vote in the less popular elections. Democrats will not be able to regain being the majority of the house or senate because of Trumps successful administration so therefore people will hopefully vote for republicans in the upcoming elections.
ReplyDeleteFirst, to be honest, I had no idea what a midterm election was prior to this post and the suggested readings. There is no doubt the upcoming midterm elections in which the Republicans currently control both chambers is going to be a nail biting one up until the final results are declared. Being a newcomer at this and as I read about historical facts for the Democrats and Republicans and recent events going on between the parties, I kept going back and forth, back and forth with my November predictions. Democrats have such a strong chance of winning and getting control based on various readings for these reasons:1)History shows that voters go against the president's party:2) Democrats are super motivated to win back Congress. In addition to volunteers helping to spread the word, there will be lots of advertising and money spent on campaigning making Democrats visible and heard as to why voters should cast their votes toward them, most likely focusing on a top 2018 issue like healthcare concerns (cost of drugs, protections for pre-existing conditions, and especially the concern that if Justice Kavanaugh gets confirmed to the Supreme Court later this year then the landmark 1973 decision of Roe v Wade which legalized abortion and protects a person's rights to make their own medical decisions will be in jeopardy and up for debate after setting a precedent and been legal for all these years. Immigration issues, too, will continue to be an issue all along with a good number of voters as Trump is not letting go of the fact that he wants a wall built, and the horror of families being separated from their kids will always be in the front of people's minds; 3)Taking into consideration Gallup polling over the past 72 years, history has shown that any president's approval rating that's below 50 percent during the midterm election period causes an average loss of more than 36 House seats. If this historical trend continues during this upcoming midterm election, Democrats would have a majority in November and take control of the House since there are 435 total voting members in the lower chamber (House) all in competition and currently held by 236 R, 193 D, and 6 vacancies. Since 218 constitutes a majority, the math proves that it's definitely doable for Democrats to win control as they need more than 24 seats to take the House. Since Trump's approval rating is currently between 38 and 45 percent according to reputable and recent polls and pretty much hovering around this percent, numbers indicate it's not out of reach for the Democrats to win control, and 4) even though midterm election turnout is historically lower than presidential elections and based on the last 10 midterm elections since 1978 where Republicans have a midterm election turnout advantage, ( https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/do-republicans-really-have-a-big-turnout-advantage-in-midterms/ ) , having Republican President Trump in the White House will offset this advantage as pointed out in historical data mentioned in item #1. This means that there is not a significant advantage for the Republicans at all for higher Republican voter turnout as one washes out the other. To be fair to the Republicans, I will point out that they are not out of the running in keeping control. President Trump has done a good job with improving the economy. Low unemployment at approximately 4% means more people are steadily working, the stock market is doing well, and Trump's tax cuts that will spread over the next ten years should help voters have more spendable income. They can take this into consideration which may cause them to vote for Republicans at the midterm elections, but I don't believe it's enough. President Trump is unpopular as his approval rating should be much higher for all the "good" he has done and it is not. This means to me there's a problem. People do realize this and will not want his party to have full control of Congress. They will want to keep his party in line as they should.
ReplyDeleteAs the 2018 midterm election gets closer it is clear to see that Democratics have every right to be optimistic. One of the reasons is Trumps amazingly low approval rates, and since he is obviously Republican it is not surprising the the Democrates are making a comeback and might even take over the House. Although there is something that could make the Democratics come up short. That is the fact that Minorities and Millennials, the two groups most alienated from Trump, tend to vote in presidential elections rather than midterm elections. Since it is clear that those against Trump are steering their votes to the Democratics, the Millennials and Minorities could give the Democratics a real advantage in the polls, but if they repeat history and remain impartial, the election will be much more of a nail biter. The nonsense grudges held against Trump are not the only thing influencing potential voters though, issues like the Russian hacker investigation also spice the election up as well. The media has been blowing up at the fact that our president Trump could of been a part of Russia hacking into files and emails to give Trump a lead in the presidential election. With this investigation going on everyone is questioning and arguing about Trumps judgement, which really does not help the Republicans at all. Since social media is such a big part of everyones lives, when something like this happens everyone knows about it and everyone has their own opinion on it, but I believe that even if some voters would usually side with Republicans, they might change in fear of siding with a criminal, since that what social media is making Trump out to be.
ReplyDeleteThe midterm elections usual percentage of the amount of voters compared to how it could be for this current election will most likely be drastically different. This election unlike any other as Emily said in her response gives the Democrats a chance to fight back against the Republican eye (President Trump). Many people can agree that president Trumps approval rate is decreasing which now gives democrats an advantage for Midterm elections. I think this election will have a higher turn out rate than in the past congressional elections. It gives disagreeing citizens the opportunity to express what’s most important to them to see in charge. I think this gives the Democrats a big chance of dominating the Republicans in the House. Issues that will probably be important/controversial during this election will be the new Supreme Court member as his presence has brought a debate on how Republicans could be dominating the Supreme Court. He was also looked to as biased which could intrigue more Democrats to make a change and want more democratic leaders present in the House. I think this midterm election will go down as one of the most active and game changing ones in history.
ReplyDeleteIn this response, I will strive to answer the question in the title, which is "Can the Democrats Take Back Congress?", while simultaneously analyzing the situation. To start, I must state that this topic is completely alien to me. Now, the articles talk about a "midterm election", which is different than presidential elections. These elections are about the Congress. The reason this is brought is because there is a midterm election coming up. The reason this midterm election is so important is because it may allow the democrats to "take back congress". According to nytimes.com, in the article titled "A Democratic Blue Wave? Don’t Forget the Republicans’ Big Hill" by Nate Cohn and Dominic Kesterton, "The president’s approval rating is in the low 40s" and "it’s a setup for a wave election". A wave election is an election where it seems the weaker party will make a comeback in power. So, this event is big because it may cause Democrats to gain more control in Congress. Can the Democrats take back Congress? They definitely can, and here's why. The President's rating is down the gutter, and he is a Republican, which probably shows that more people would rather be on the Democratic view of things. According to thehill.com, on the article titled "Parties face excited midterm electorate with reservations" by Reid Wilson and Lisa Hagen, "Gallup polling stretching back to 1946 shows that a president whose approval rating is below 50 percent in midterm elections loses an average of more than 36 House seats, more than enough to give Democrats a majority in the next Congress". The chances are just too high to not see the Democrats gain control in the Congress. From what I know, I believe that the Democrats will take back the House and the Senate. The turnout in elections will be high due to Trump's rating, and the high turnout is good for Democrats, which is why I believe the Democrats will make a huge comeback. Tariffs will definitely be the most important issue when November elections come around, due to the effect that these are having on the country, which can be seen on the news and spread across the internet. Trump is causing a lot of turmoil, and the more he causes, the better it will be for the Deomcrats.
ReplyDeleteAfter reading these articles and figuring out what midterm elections really is, it looks like Democrats will take back Congress and and its all up to the people. If im one hundred percent honest i do believe that democrats will be taking back congress and im all in favor. After the rise in taxes and all of this Russia stuff with the President, i believe that the people do not have trust in the president and in the republican congress for which increases the possibility for democrats to take congress back. With that being said, another reason to why democrats will be taking the house back is because of TAXES. Many people might just vote for the side that best benefits them and if its the side that will benefit them personally and economically they will vote for them, and if taxes increase, the people are going to vote for whoever will decrease the taxes for them because a lot of them cant even pay what they are paying now. To conclude, I'm not saying that democrats have this in the bag because this is never the case until election day when everything is set in stone, but it looks like the democrats have a pretty good chance.
ReplyDeleteIn the upcoming 2018 midterm election I think there will be some important topics to think about when they vote. Russian election hacking is a major problem. Hacking can be the reason why a president didn't win an election which is a serious matter. It also causes the number of votes to be innacurate. People that are voting want to make sure that the president they are voting for wins or looses fairly and not by an illegal way. In the article, "A Democratic Ble Wave? Don't Forget the Republicans' Big Hill" it mentions that democrats are ahead as of now. "...The Democrats have a comfortable lead in generic congressional polls, and it's midterm election year." The wave represents the Democrats and shows how they are rising slowly. The wave election is when "...one party makes big gains in the national popular vote." In this situation the Democrats are taking control but it can stop easily if the Republicans gain it back. I think because of the increasing amount of Democrats, they can take back the house. They have enough power and lot's of people disagree with the way trump is handling some situations. If Republicans disagree with trump then they must agree with the Democrats since trump is Republican. The majority of time most of the world has been Republican and now its time for the democratic side to get their points across and change things.
ReplyDeleteI think the Democrats will surely take back the house because even the republicans would rather be on their side. The presidents midterms usually go negatively for their party. Also, president Trumps approval rating has been between 38 and 45 percent, making this midterm even more challenging for the republicans. Also, two new polls show that Quinnipiac University and the Kaiser Family Foundation found Democrats with a 12-point lead in the generic congressional ballot. This should give them the lead they need for the rest of the midterm elections. Another promising fact for the Democrats is that they have been posting very strong fundraising numbers, with Democratic challengers outraising the GOP in some of the nation’s most competitive districts.
ReplyDeleteI think that the democrats have an unusual advantage in this midterm election. News has been flooding in about mistakes our president has made in office but not many people have been paying attention to congress. I think the Democratic Party that lost the presidential election knows that the executive branch is only one third of our government and will turn out to take back the legislative branch. As the article from The Hill says, issues change drastically in a matter of two weeks so there is hardly a way to tell what issues Americans will be focusing on this November. People see that the country leadership is unsteady because of the media, which is giving us information that gets harder to trust each day. We only know what we are told by the media and most of it seems poised against the Republican Party these ways. I believe that the Democratic turnout this midterm election will be increased because of the way the media portrays our government.
ReplyDeleteI am very sorry my comment was late.
DeleteThe upcoming midterm election will bring much controversy to the table. The biggest issues for voters in November will most likely be immigration, healthcare, and abortion. Immigration will pertain to many citizens sentimentally, and will most likely drive many to vote against deportation policies. On the other hand, some will vote for them in fear of terrorism, and other similar situations. Healthcare is another important issue, and a topic of controversy amongst many, leading the big question “should citizens have free healthcare?”. This is one of the more relevant issues in the modern world, making it likely to continue to be significant in the future, since it will probably not be resolved. An issue that will most likely lose importance to voters is the Supreme Court nominee situation, as well as taxes. If Brett Kavanaugh, the latest Supreme Court nominee, is appointed, then it is likely to upset many democrats, but probably not for long seeing as there are larger issues that require more attention (such as immigration and healthcare). Although the President’s approval rating is “in the low 40s” (Nate Cohen, A Democratic Blue Wave?...) based on polls, that does not dictate the future (example the 2016 Presidential election), anything can happen. Turnout in election may be heavier than normal, because of the newer faces of politics (such as Ocasio-Cortez, Democratic Socialist aiming for congress) and newer activists making a strong impact on many alike millennials. The democrats will have a tougher time attempting to take back the House, or the Senate. Based on current ideals of the new democratic activists, it may be difficult for the democrats to overtake a primarily conservative House (and Senate), especially with a Republican President in Office.
ReplyDelete