What does it mean for the Republican Party to be the Trump Party?
Can Republicans take back the majority in 2022 in the House – and maybe the Senate – as the Trump Party?
There is one school of thought that says the second question has little to do with the first question – that the history of big losses for an incumbent president’s party in midterm elections and the narrow Democratic margins on Capitol Hill mean Speaker Pelosi has her gavel on borrowed time.
Indeed, both the New York Times and Politico have stories rounding up the recent developments and trends that suggest the Democrats are destined to lose the majority in 2022.
And, double indeedy, even in the Dominant Media there is at least a slight turn in the “Biden Triumphant” narrative, which has been running now for several weeks and keys, in part, on the president’s approval ratings (which, as far as we know, remain stable).
Now you can see in the overall coverage a shift, with highlighters on lurking questions, errors, or highly unfinished business on a range of matters, including immigration, crime, vaccine distribution, the role of teachers unions in school schedules, taxes, spending, Russia/China/Iran/North Korea, etc.
There’s also an increased sense inside senior Democratic circles that going down the reconciliation path for $4 trillion in more spending might have a worse outcome than simply the end of any prospect for bipartisan compromise – that Team Biden-Harris-Klain-Pelosi-Schumer might not actually be able to corral the necessary all-Democratic votes to muscle through a consensus package (or two).
What could perhaps rescue the Biden presidency (if it needs rescuing….) is the man who helped elect the Delawarean in the first place.
