No Red Wave: GOP fumbles the ball

Trump is the big loser

As of this writing it does not appear the GOP will control the Senate.  If Laxalt wins in Nevada, which is a real possibility, and if Masters does not pull an upset in Arizona, it looks like the Senate will be tied at 50-50. 

For the GOP to take control of the Senate, Oz would have had to hold the Pennsylvania seat of outgoing Republican Toomey and Walker would have had to beat Warnock in Georgia.  As of this writing Warnock and Walker may have a runoff because the frontrunner does not have 50%.   Walker is running way behind Gov. Kemp who easily beat Stacy Abrams in a rematch of the 2018 race.  New Hampshire GOP candidate Bolduc is running way behind GOP Governor Sununu who easily won reelection.

In other words, Trump endorsed Senate candidates fared poorly.  The “Trump effect” was negative in these three races.

However, in Ohio, JD Vance trounced longtime Democratic congressman Tim Ryan, keeping the Senate seat in the GOP column.   

In Florida, Gov. DeSantis crushed Crist, winning reelection by 1.5 million votes, a far cry from four years ago when the governor squeaked out a win by less than .5 percent. 

In New York, the insufferable Governor Hochul won reelection because New York City overwhelmingly voted for the incumbent.  Do New Yorkers not care about how their city has turned into a crime infested, woke, more unlivable metropolis?  Apparently so.  The election result shows there are two New York’s, NYC and the rest of the state.  Time for a divorce?

The New York Times estimates the GOP will control the House with 224 seats a pickup of 10 seats.  218 seats are needed for a majority.  In other words, given all the problems facing the country, the GOP could muster gaining only 10 seats when in previous midterm elections the president’s party typically loses 30 or more seats. 

At the lewrockwell.com blog Dale Steinreich sums up yesterday’s results succinctly.

How in the world could you get such a gift of almost double-digit inflation, a tanked stock market, higher gas prices, a surge in crime, a drooling and rambling memory-care patient as a president and not truly clean up across the board?  It’s a grim portent for the future of the country.  DeSantis and Rubio routed their opponents in Florida, but what do you bet the 2024 nominee will be Dufus Drumpf with Ivanka and Jared in tow again?  And he’ll lose.  It’s hard to steal attention away from Tuesday’s elections, but someone talked him into waiting until November 15.  Wow, can’t wait for that.

The bottom line:  Gov. DeSantis is the GOP frontrunner for the 2024 presidential nomination.  Trump had his more than 15 minutes of fame, and it is time he write a book and play golf in one of his many resorts. 

The Trump era is over, I hope.