Midterm Musings

Pain+

Pain

Jack Nowak '23, Editor

We are 24 days out from the Midterm Elections. There are 35 Senate seats and all 435 House seats are up for reelection. This is an intense round of elections as the Democrats and the Republicans are extremely close in the polls. The outcome will determine the nation’s direction and President Biden’s ability, or lack thereof, to carry out his agenda for the next two years. I think that, due to the state of the economy and the crisis at the Southern border, the Republicans will take both the House and Senate. 

My reasoning is based on historical trends and current issues. In modern history, the opposing party to the sitting administration almost always has an advantage. Right now, the Republicans are placing the blame for the current state of the economy and the crisis at the border on Biden and the Democrats. This is typical for the opposing party in a midterm. I think it will be relatively easy for the Republicans to win a majority in Congress because they only need to pick up five seats in the House and only one seat in the Senate. 

The Democrats are trying to retain their majority in both the House and the Senate by running on the recent overturning of Roe v. Wade. I happen to agree that abortion is the most important issue facing the nation and ending it should be our number one priority, although ironically, the Democrats see enshrining it as the goal. I think that, while the strong feelings of the left on this issue will help them in the Midterms, they overestimate how many people support abortion in this country. Within the percentage of Americans that are pro-choice, the majority of them do not support it without restrictions. The Democrats’ goal of abortion on demand without limitations is not what most Americans want, and thank God for that. I think that this issue, while possibly helping the Democrats, will not be enough to turn the tide in their favor.

One of the most important issues that will determine how people vote is the state of the economy. As former President Bill Clinton put it, “It’s the economy, stupid!” In the past two years of Biden’s presidency, inflation has risen to alarming levels and gas prices rose to prices unseen in the past several decades. I know I was not the only one upset when I paid over $60 for gas when just a couple short years ago I was paying around $40. Considering that most voting Americans own a car and pay for gas, this will definitely play a role in how people vote. 

Another important issue that is a thorn in the side of the Democrats and Biden is the crisis at the southern border. While most of the media tried to ignore this issue, it is undeniably a national issue that illegal immigrants are pouring into our country. The prime duty of the president is to protect the American people and put them first. Clearly, this has not been happening, and Americans are suffering the consequences. The drugs brought in by many illegal immigrants alone are an extremely dire situation. Fentanyl, which the Drug Enforcement Agency says is the “deadliest drug threat facing this country,” is being brought into America by cartels and illegal immigrants from the Southern border. Millions of lethal pills have already been seized, but that begs the question of how many more there are. The “sanctuary city” San Diego is already a national epicenter for Fentanyl trafficking, according to the Department of Justice. Biden and the Democrats have been egregiously silent on this issue. The Republicans are promising to secure the border and I think this will greatly play to their advantage. 

I think my prediction will come true this November. Hopefully then, if the Republicans win the House and Senate, they will get the economy back on track and start to clean up the border. And, while they’re at it, continue to fight for the unborn now that Roe v. Wade has been struck down. Only 24 more days to go!

 

Gas Price Data:

https://gasprices.aaa.com/?state=MO

https://www.ksdk.com/article/money/missouri-gas-price-average-march/63-0581c8e5-87e6-4028-b499-7f8f08fadf18

 

Fentanyl Data:

https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdca/pr/fentanyl-seizures-border-continue-spike-making-san-diego-national-epicenter-fentanyl 

https://www.foxnews.com/us/amid-fentanyl-crisis-parents-urged-warn-kids-halloween-treats-disguise