Republicans have a chance this fall to end the disastrous cavalcade that has come from united Democratic control of the government. But they might blow it.
Ever since the one-two punch of Donald Trump’s losing the 2020 presidential election to the lackluster, doddering old fool Joe Biden and helping cost the Republicans two Georgia Senate seats, Republicans have been in an unenviable position. Democrats have control not only of the House and presidency, but also (with Vice President Kamala Harris as a tiebreaker) a Senate majority – albeit one occasionally thwarted by Joe Manchin and Kyrsten Sinema, the most-moderate Senate Democrats.
But Sinema and Manchin can only do so much. Thus, for most of the Biden administration so far, Republicans have been at Democrats’ mercy as they have led America down a predictably partisan – and harmful – path. There didn’t have to be the $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan, which economists on both sides of the political spectrum have agreed has contributed in some part to our current and ongoing inflation problem. There didn’t have to be a massive border crisis, or a laughable piece of legislation dubbed the “Inflation Reduction Act.” One could go on and on about the problems that the Democratic trifecta has caused.
All of this could have been avoided if Donald Trump hadn’t thrown his stolen-election tantrum after losing in 2020. But now, Trump-backed Senate candidates might deprive Republicans of the majority they need to stop Biden’s agenda. Once again, Trump’s whims might win out over strategic prudence and political victory.
So far, Republican choices for the Senate midterm elections in Arizona, Georgia, Ohio, and Pennsylvania all feature Donald Trump–backed MAGA candidates who are running tight races or outright behind in what should be an excellent environment for a Republican red wave. Democratic malfeasance will likely be enough for Republicans to win back the House, but it is looking increasingly likely that Democrats could hold on to the Senate.
There’s a certain primal thrill that can come from selecting a candidate who doesn’t have a chance at winning and will go down in flames. But the thing about our Republic is, you don’t win by saying outrageous things, or “owning the libs.” You win by electing enough of “the good guys” to the institutions that the Framers of the Constitution placed power in — Congress and the presidency. What Republicans aren’t seeming to grasp is that many of the candidates they are choosing to run against Democrats in competitive states aren’t electable.
Contrast this with Colorado, my home state. In the June Senate primary, Republicans had a choice between a full-bore MAGA candidate in Ron Hanks and a more-moderate option in Joe O’Dea. In a lot of similar environments, Republicans have chosen a candidate like Hanks. Instead, O’Dea won out. O’Dea is a welcome sight for Republican chances in the Centennial State, which has been trending bluer over the past decade. He’s a self-made construction-business owner whose campaign is focused on inflation and the economic health of America, not stolen elections or the divisive culture-war issues that Hanks pushed on the campaign trail.
I’m sure I’d disagree with Senator O’Dea on some things, maybe even most things, like his stance on abortion and other social issues, but there is no question that I would rather have him as my senator than Michael Bennet. And it’s simply the case that politicians like O’Dea have the best shot at appealing to moderates and beating Democrats in purple states.
This isn’t to say Joe O’Dea will win, but the prudence that Coloradans put on display in June reflects, among other things, the wisdom of William F. Buckley’s own advice: to “be for the most right, viable candidate who could win.” If Republican voters in other states had followed this advice, November would be looking a lot better right now for the GOP.
If Republicans don’t learn this lesson, America will continue to see more bad legislation and more of the Democratic agenda that harms Americans’ daily lives. Alas, many of these key primaries have already happened, so Republicans are stuck with these candidates. Going forward, however, we should hope that, for our Republic’s sake, Republicans start choosing more wisely.