Here are a few of my observations and opinions now that the midterms are nearly history.
I ASSUME YOU HAVE HEARD ENOUGH about winners and losers in the November 6, 2018 midterm elections, and recognizing that several key seats are still in question as counting continues, I’ve chosen to touch on a handful of stories that caught my attention.
IT’S TIME TO TAKE A DEEP BREATH and count our blessings. Do not despair. Yes, we lost the House, but the losses are fewer than the 63 lost by Barack Obama (2010) and 53 lost by Bill Clinton (1994) in their midterms. More significantly, we’ve gained seats in the Senate. And … and …. those campaign commercials have disappeared from our TV screens.
BERNIE SANDERS, commenting on the defeat of blacks Andrew Gillum in Florida and Stacey Abrams in Georgia, told The Daily Beast that many whites are uncomfortable voting for black candidates. To which, Allahpundit responded that the remark was “conveniently unfalsifiable.” Kramerontheright views Gillum and Abrams as radicals.
ELVIA DIAZ, an editorial columnist for the left-leaning Arizona Republic, whom I have criticized here from time to time for attacking President Trump for “incessant racial attacks,” admitted today that “for now, it looks like the ‘sleeping giant’ – as Latino voters are often referred – snored through the 2018 midterm election.”
Sleeping giant? It seems Ms. Diaz believes her own press clippings.
THE FEMALE VOTE – Remember when Hillary blamed her loss of the female vote on women who voted like their husbands, sons or their boss? The Women’s March tweeted a strong scolding of women as a result of their showing in the midterms.
“There needs to be accountability and an honest reckoning. There’s a lot of work to do, white women. A lot of learning. A lot of growing.” (@womensmarch)
I don’t know any women who like to be threatened.
THERE HE WAS, Barack Obama, with his shirtsleeves rolled up, rewriting history as he campaigned for Andrew Gillum, Stacey Abrams and others. Monica Showalter, writing in the American Thinker, “Biggest loser at midterms? Barack Obama,” notes that “voters noticeably rejected the ex-president’s appeal.”
IT APPEARS TO ME that voters put their personal animosity for President Trump over the impressive accomplishments of his first 20 months in office, casting aside the old adage that it’s the economy stupid. The results tell me that it wasn’t was a referendum on President Trump.
DID THEY ASK THEMSELVES if they were better off than they were on Election Day 2016? Did they remind themselves of the president’s promises made, promises kept record?
LEADING UP THE MIDTERMS, latest IBD/TIPP Poll results revealed that people were more optimistic about the economy, less financially stressed, less worried about jobs, more satisfied with the direction of the country, and happier with the federal government’s economic policies than they were in November 2016. Responders give President Trump higher marks for his handling of the economy than they did President Obama.
So, how do those other pollsters explain that their respondents believed that Democrats would handle the economy better than Republicans?
I RECENTLY LEARNED that today’s retirees are wealthier than in any previous generation. Much of this can be attributed to those who participated in company 401k plans.
One of the major investment account firms, with some 30 million investors, announced that 187, 400 of their investors have become millionaires with accounts in excess of a $1 million as of the close of the third quarter.
The firm reported steady growth in 401k millionaires so far in the Trump presidency. That number grew from 150,000 at the end of 2017. In 2008, under Barack Obama, the firm reported just 19,300 individuals with $1 million plus accounts.
The Dow Jones, which struggled at an average of 19,561 points over the last five years, hit an all-time high of 26,743 under President Trump on September 21, 2018. Gallup reports that 55 percent of the population is invested in the stock market. While 61 percent responded that they had a financial investor, an unbelievable 74 percent indicated that they were comfortable handling their own finances.
WHAT TO EXPECT IN TAXES is covered in detail in Richard Rubin’s Wall Street Journal piece, “What a Democratic House Would Mean for Your Taxes.” While a Democrat House could kill the Trump administration’s intent to extend the individual tax cuts expiring after 2025, and doom the 10 percent middle-class tax cut recently proposed, don’t underestimate the president’s negotiating ability.
MICHIGAN DOESN’T GET IT – How embarrassing. My original home state simply doesn’t know how to manage success.
Last month, the Wall Street Journal suggested Michigan as a case study in the pro-growth potential of business tax reform – the pride of the Great Lakes states, leading in manufacturing growth.
“Thanks to GOP Governor Rick Snyder’s commitment to pro-growth tax reform, Michigan has made a stunning economic comeback, leading to massive job creation and the revitalization of the state’s once-lagging business climate.
Michigan unemployment was reduced from 10.9 percent in 2011 to 3.9 percent under Snyder, who brought common sense leadership to the governor’s office.
He was able to replace a cumbersome state business tax with a 6 percent corporate tax and trimmed the individual rate to 4.25 percent. Michigan’s tax ranking jumped to seventh from 49th.
SO, WHAT DOES MICHIGAN DO? – With the ghost of Democrat Jennifer Granholm still hanging overhead, they voted for Democrat Gretchen Whitmer to replace the term-limited Snyder. Clearly, across the nation, cities and states governed by Democrats perform below those managed by Republicans.
To make matters worse, when given the opportunity to bring in savvy pro-growth businessman, John James, as their new GOP senator, they reelect Democrat Debbie Stabenow. To add to the embarrassment … Michigan voters wasted votes for three other odd-ball candidates that could have put James’ total past that of Stabenow.
And, they top it off with a vote approving recreational use of Marijuana.
AT LEAST the Michigan Wolverines are not an embarrassment this year as they are currently ranked fourth in the national college football standings
HILLARY SKATES AGAIN – With the Democrat takeover of the House it appears that Hillary Clinton will again avoid charges. The stonewalling by the Obama Deep State holdovers in the DOJ kept Republican Congressional investigations from completing its work.
You may recall that on election eve she repeated her tired criticism of the Trump administration’s “attack and undermine(ing) of our democratic institutions and values.”
How quickly she forgets how Deep State Democrats undermined the integrity of the Justice Department, that exonerated her from criminal charges.
And, was she on another planet when Democrat members of the Senate Judicial Committee disgraced that institution during the confirmation of Judge Brett Kavanaugh?
She called the midterms the Democrat opportunity to save the country against “radicalism, bigotry, and corruption,” while conveniently dismissing the actions of the Democrat left. Need I name names? Maxine Waters, Cory Booker and Robert Menendez for starters.
And, of course, she doesn’t view the appearance of her husband and Barack Obama on stage with the hate-filled radical Louis Farrakhan as a symbol of bigotry.
Hillary said of the Trump administration, “we’ve had enough.” Well, we deplorables have had enough of you, Hillary. By the way, Hillary, about that civility you said would return when Democrats won the House – one of your mobs was pounding on the door of Tucker Carlson’s home last night.
And how about the Soros-sponsored protesting of the Sessions firing?
AND FINALLY – CNN’s Jim Acosta challenged the president’s reference to the approaching migrants as an “invasion,” selectively choosing to believe it only meant to include “armed” invaders.
My inquiries to the dictionary revealed: “an excursion of a large number of people or things into a place or sphere;” or “an unwelcome intrusion into another’s domain.”
May God bless the United States of America
