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It was the year 2022… Joe Biden is an extraordinarily unpopular President; Kamala Harris an even more unpopular Vice President. Inflation is high with wide-spread discontent regarding the direction this nation has taken. For an oppositional party, this was the perfect context for a midterm Congressional sweep– the optimal environment to block Biden’s legislative power for the rest of his term; yet, the predicted “red wave” in Congress ended up being less of a tsunami and more… slightly dried-up slime. What on earth could have allowed an unpopular incumbent president like Biden to defy years of precedent and achieve a relatively successful midterm?
The answer? Have your opponent be a maniacal, Bond-villain figure who people fear will topple America’s democracy.
The killer of the Republican party wasn’t the Democratic party, but the Republican leader himself. To properly understand why, let’s take a look at Donald Trump’s legacy as president.
Donald Trump started off as “that guy”, the billionaire driving expensive race cars, an eligible bachelor hanging out with beautiful women, the businessman in charge of one of the most elite brands in the world. When he announced himself as a presidential candidate, he took the political world by storm: his unconventional brand may not ingratiate him with a good section of voters, but his unique persona achieved the important quality of being memorable. This branding would catapult him to the most powerful office in the world.
During his actual presidential tenure, many people were left wondering: how could he go through so many scandals, get impeached twice, incite an insurrection against the government, and still have political power? The crucial thing to understand, however, is that none of this actually contradicts his brand image as “billionaire businessman who does what he wants”. Notice how a single scandal can absolutely malign a candidate like Hilary Clinton, but the scandal wouldn’t even make it to the front page for Donald Trump? It’s because he’s already made scandal part of his image.
However, this kind of divisive campaigning is damaging for Trump’s bipartisan appeal (or rather, complete lack of non-Republican fans). His ability to unite Republican Congressmen is perhaps only surpassed by his singular ability to invite hatred from every other political party. This, coupled with his numerous efforts to overturn election results, have inspired a reactionary movement that played a crucial role in the 2022 midterm elections.
On the other hand, Joe Biden serves as an antithesis to Trump’s image. Amongst Democrats, he inspires…lukewarm reception, resembling that of soggy bread and warm milk. He is made fun of relentlessly for his age, for his uncoordinated speeches, and for his famous “gaffes”. However, that has also served as his secret superpower. Biden may not be well liked, but that also means he isn’t fiercely hated to the extent Trump is. Trump’s endless controversy has proven to be tiring, even embarrassing for many voters. An independent is more likely to find Biden more appealing than Trump–that has made all the difference in the 2022 midterm elections.
The disappointingly half-hearted victories Republican candidates won in the last few days signal a change for the Republican party, and a possibility of moving away from the Trumpism that has marked the GOP for the last six years.