If you thought all was lost after Donald Trump’s surprise victory in November, you’re not thinking straight. Beyond well-employed tactics of resistance like non-violent protest, pressure on lawmakers, and economic shifters like strikes, there is a way to resist: Politics.
Through it all, the political process is still going on, and that’s why Democrats should pay attention for 2018 midterm elections.
The bad news is that it doesn’t look good. Republicans have enough control to grasp for a filibuster-proof margin in the Senate (eight more seats), but that’s still a stretch. Republicans start in a better position because they will only have to defend nine seats compared to the 25 that Democrats will have to protect.
Another thing that doesn’t look good for Democrats is where those seats are.
According to the LA Times:
“Indeed. Ten of the 25 seats that Democrats are defending are in states that Trump carried — in some instances by huge margins. He won West Virginia, where Joe Manchin is seeking reelection, by 42 percentage points, and North Dakota, where Heidi Heitkamp is seeking a second term, by 36 percentage points. He also carried Montana, Indiana and Missouri — where Democratic incumbents are facing reelection — by double-digits.”
It seems very unlikely that Democrats will gain the three seats they need to regain control of the Senate while simultaneously defending the 25 seats that they need.
There is one thing that looks good for the Democrats, and what makes the GOP’s bid for 60 seats seem unlikely – having Trump in the White House.
The LA Times notes:
“Because supporters of the ‘out’ party, that is the one not in control of the White House, tend to be more motivated to turn out than supporters of the ‘in’ party. Part of that may be because, by nature, people are more likely to act — in this case vote — out of anger or dissatisfaction than contentment.”
No one can tell now if the massive rallies and protests going on in the country translate into sustained political action, but if Democrats can perform alchemy and turn discontent into votes in 2018, it could serve as one of the most important checks on the power of Trump and the GOP.
If you don’t believe midterm elections make a difference, check out Samantha Bee’s hilarious take on midterms below:
Featured Image By DonkeyHotey Via Flickr/CC-By-2.0.
