US Mid-terms 2018
AJ Robinson

Typically, when I’m writing my articles, I like to have as much lead-time as possible. If I can, I write a couple weeks in advance, sometimes as much as a month. An event or person inspires me. I remember something that touches me. I start writing.

The vote count is never fast enough.

Other times, well, I will be literally working on the article right up until a few minutes before I send it in. This week, I decided to wait to the last minute, but with just cause. You see, today is mid-term Election Day 2018; the votes are arriving and tallied, as I write. I wanted to wait until, I hope, a definite trend emerges regarding how America is leaning. Will there be a Blue Wave, maybe even a Blue Tsunami that will finally put a check on the Great Orange?

Oh, I hope so. Three trends seem evident already. First, this election was indeed a referendum on Donald Trump, as the backlash against him seems to have fully materialised in suburban areas. Second, not everything Trump touches turns to gold. Third, there will be more women than ever before in the House of Representatives.

I also know what the Democrats face. Given the degree of voter suppression, voting systems hacking or tampering, gerrymandering and voter apathy, it is entirely possible the Republicans will maintain control of the House, the Senate and many of the states. I have zero confidence in the ability of any candidate to swing their district or state. Thus, I will sit here and wait for the returns to start to come in.

Now, although this is only the next sentence for you, it is quite the time change for me; it’s a shift in our political system. Sitting here, watching the voting reports, I have mixed feelings. On the one hand, I am overjoyed that it seems certain the Democrats will take over the House of Representatives, as what this will mean for our nation.

With the democrats in control, it the Trump Administration will finally have to answer some tough questions regarding the corruption, which seems rampant, since his inauguration, almost two years ago. Who knows, Trump may actually have to produce his tax returns and even have to truly divest himself of his business interests or face charges of violating the Emoluments Clause. That is incredible, a true victory for the American people.

Threats of retaliation.

In his first post-election Tweet, Trump said, “If the Democrats think they are going to waste Taxpayer Money investigating us at the House level, then we will likewise be forced to consider investigating them for all of the leaks of Classified Information, and much else, at the Senate level. Two can play that game!” That was at 5:04 am on 7 November 2018.

The House victory is bittersweet due to the Senate races. The Democrats lost two Senate seats, but gained seven governorships. Cruz won in Texas. This is a real blow as Beto O’Rourke truly seemed to have a good chance to take him down, and that would have been a massive blow to Trump.

Here in Florida, Rick Scott, one of the worse governors in our history, an incredibly corrupt and total Trump lapdog, is our new senator, as he narrowly beat incumbent Bill Nelson by less than one-half of one percentage. On top of that, Ron DeSantis, a Trump clone, beat Tallahassee mayor, by less than one percentage point. Not only will these men do incredible damage to our states and nation, but Scott will embolden Trump to go further in his vile agenda.

I worry about the judges Scott will appoint; there are three vacant seats on the Florida Supreme Court. Still, I’m glad the House will be there to fight for the people. I worry how the people of Texas and Florida will struggle, but at least Trump can’t ram another tax cut for the rich through Congress or destroy protection for people with pre-existing conditions who need health insurance.

Yes, the 2018 mid-term election results are bittersweet; how will events and issues unfold in the next two years. Well, if his past is any indication, Trump will blame the Democrats for every problem, every failure, he’ll insult and ridicule all of the chairs of the House committees that will investigate him and he’ll take credit for every Senate win.

Hope for the best.

What does our future hold? My hope is that once the committees dig into Trump’s actions, the truth will finally come out, and maybe, just maybe, his minions will desert him. Here’s hoping!