Any projection of GOP "red wave" in this year's midterms was exaggerated, or like many GOP claims, baseless. That's not denying that they made a ripple; both houses of Congress were a toss-up several days after the election, and it looks like the Republicans will take a narrow majority of House of Representatives. On the other hand, the US Senate is secured for the Democrats... for now.
Speaking of narrow, the record number of races with margins under 1% is concerning, especially with some of the candidates that lost narrowly. A fair number of Republican candidates that received approximately 49% of the popular vote (or slightly less) ran on the Big Lie or received wholehearted endorsements from ex-President Trump. At least one losing candidate was actually at the failed Capital siege in January 2021.
That's not to say this was a banner year for Democrats. If the GOP had its share of rotten eggs, the Dems are heavy on stale bread. A fair number of liberal candidates were elected because the Trump-backed Republicans were either inept or just unpalatable. Age remains an issue; I've discussed Nancy Pelosi and Joe Biden's age in the past, but 89-year-old Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA) was just elected to an eighth term. At least we have our first Gen-Z congressman.
In the end, it all breaks down to the race that garnered the most media attention: the ugly U.S. Senate race between Rev. Raphael Warnock and Herschel Walker in Georgia. Neither nabbed 50% of the vote (shades of 2020), and the difference between them was literally in the triple figures, so a run-off will be held in early December. Stacey Abrams is both the reason why a deep south state is suddenly purple and the state's sacrificial lamb, having lost twice to a former Secretary of State that conveniently altered election rules in his favor. Sadly, there's still a possibility the mealy-mouthed Walker can still beat Warnock.
Next Week: my 18th annual thanks/no thanks list.
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