WhatsappMuch will be spoken about the Democrats “holding on” in the 2022 mid-term elections. That is true – but partially. Despite Joe Biden’s approval rating being way under 50%, US voters across the country did not vote out Democrat Governors, Senators, and Congressmen in a big red wave. Actually, it seems like US voters across the country voted for stability, for the status quo, more than anything else.
Much will be spoken about how could so many seemingly unhappy voters NOT vote for change. It seemed like the timing was perfect for a big sweep by Republicans. Despite the Republicans apparent takeover of the House, it still was in no way a trouncing, and the Senate looks like it will stay in the hands of the Democrats.
One anti-Biden explanation is that voters are very underwhelmed by what they see in the Oval Office – both today and before Joe Biden. Voters do not want to see a lack of stability in their leadership. And Joe Biden seems mentally unstable while Donald Trump seemed rather emotionally unstable. So, perhaps the voters said that they want things to just plain calm down. It’s a theory – but perhaps without much merit.
An alternative explanation is that middle-of-the-road voters are scared of the return of Donald Trump. They may not be impressed with Joe Biden, but they did not embrace whomever Donald Trump supported. Perhaps many of the centrist voters who swing elections decided to vote against Donald Trump. If that is the case, then Ron DeSantis and Marco Rubio, two young and impresssive Republicans from Florida , who both won reelection handily, should strongly consider entering the fray against Donald Trump in 2024. Trump will namecall them, and they’ll be bruised, but one of them may win and take the other as a Vice Presidential candidate. Rubio has major appeal with the Latino voters who are fast emerging as the most important swing voters in multiple swing states. Desantis has so much of the good that Trump brings to the table without the baggage of Jan. 6th, etc…. Donald Trump is certainly the frontrunner in 2024 in the Republican primaries, but he is one of the weakest candidates in the general election that the Republicans can put in the ring.
