With the vice president having a deciding vote, Democrats once again edged out Republicans who were tipped by pollsters to win both the Senate and the 435-member House. Winning Georgia would, a distinct possibility now, be the icing on the cake, freeing Vice President Kamala Harris from Senate custody.
Moreover, even the results of the Chamber remain on the razor’s edge, the Republicans struggling to reach the bar of 218 majorities. With results in 20 seats, mostly from the Democratic-leaning West Coast still pending, the GOP leads 211-204. He is now expected to win only a slim majority, possibly just one or two seats rather than the 25-50 seat lead he was supposed to take. There is still a small possibility that Democrats could retain a similarly slim majority in the House where they had a five-seat advantage.
The shock results, one of the best of the midterm elections, by a party in control of the White House, completely changed the political dynamic in America. Bloodshed and circular fires broke out in the Republican with the GOP establishment unloading on Donald Trump for passing up the chance to win, and the Trumpublicans shooting for legislative leadership which they say has not brought energy to the campaign.
A visibly happy President Biden, traveling in East Asia, tweeted “Tuesday was a good day for America and a good day for democracy – and a strong night for Democrats.” He hoped the party would win Georgia’s seat because “the bigger the number the better”.
Tuesday was a good day for America and a good day for democracy — and a strong night for Democrats.
—Joe Biden (@JoeBiden) 1668112569000
There are two Democratic senators — Joe Manchin and Krysten Sinema — who have often tripped up the administration’s agenda, sometimes siding with Republicans. Reaching 51 would also allow Democrats to gain majority control of Senate committees that would otherwise be even in a 50-50 situation.
Post-election analysis suggests Democrats were aided by voters furious with the conservative-leaning Supreme Court’s decision striking down the constitutional right to abortion. Single women voted by a 37% margin for the Democrats, which caused a Republican partisan television anchor to lose the marbles. “Single women and voters under 40 have been captured by the Democrats. So we need these women to get married. And it’s time to fall in love and settle down. Guys, go put a ring on it “said Jesse Watters of Fox News. in a sexist diatribe.
Democrats also captured many state legislatures and governorships due to anxiety among liberal voters over the direction Trump’s MAGA forces were taking the country.
The setback significantly diminished Trump’s power. Some mainstream Republicans are now looking to Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, who won a second term with a dramatic 20-point victory over a Democratic challenger in a swing state, to take on the former president for the party’s nomination for the White House during the 2024 presidential election. Trump’s Republicans, and Trump himself, have promised to wreak havoc if this were to happen.
“MAGA against the Republican Civil War to be had right now is not Trump against DeSantis, it’s us against McConnell, McCarthy and McDaniel,” one Trump supporter tweeted, referring to the party’s legislative and organizational leadership.
Trump has scheduled a major announcement on Tuesday night, with many expecting him to declare his candidacy for the 2024 presidential election despite the midterm setback. President Biden has said he will decide early next year whether to run for a second term, although he has indicated in the past that he will.
The election results should also bolster Biden’s standing internationally, particularly ahead of his meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping on Monday.
