Economic Discontent

There’s no sugarcoating the shellacking the Republicans took on voting night. Commentators tend to place a lot of emphasis on off-year elections. They look at them as a harbinger of the mood of the country. In the WSJ, Kimberley Strassel outlines the cascading effect that sloshed through the election returns. The results aren’t pretty, and the GOP will ignore that it’s own risk.

Widespread Economic Pessimism 

Let’s begin with the numbers. Despite what Donald Trump believes, his job approval numbers are pretty darn lousy. For most Americans, the cost of living feels too high. Tariffs will only add to the cost of living.

Donald Trump was not literally on the ballot. Nonetheless, Trump was the motivating force behind a dominating Democratic turnout.

Americans Feel Poorer

Did Republicans in general overread their mandate? Perhaps. As Mark Wright (NRO) sees it, Americans, of all political stripes, were frustrated over the economy and took their frustration out on incumbents.