On the eve of a midterm election that will influence the remainder of the US president’s term and possibly pave the way for his predecessor to return to the White House, Joe Biden and Donald Trump are the stars of a frenzied final day of campaigning on Monday.
In an election he has called a “defining” moment for American democracy, Biden and Democrats face an enormous challenge to hold on to Congress after months of acrimonious campaigning, even if voters’ concerns have primarily been about everyday issues like inflation.
Republicans look certain to take control of the lower House of Representatives on Tuesday, and many Democrats worry that the Senate will follow suit in a loss that would leave Biden’s opponents in close to absolute control of legislation for the next two years as president.
According to polls, the majority of Americans worry about the economy and believe that the nation is headed in the wrong direction, which has given Republican candidates in previously unwinnable districts more confidence.
Democrats were putting a brave face on their prospects with all 435 seats in the House of Representatives, a third of the 100-member Senate, and a number of state positions up for election.
According to Senator Cory Booker, “the party in the White House often loses during midterm elections, but the reality is we still have a very solid pathway, not just to maintaining the Senate but also adding up seats.”
Presidents Barack Obama and Bill Clinton, two of the Democratic Party’s most well-liked senior statesmen, have offered their star power to Democratic contenders on the campaign trail.
Republicans have chosen from a smaller group of their own heavy hitters, with the focus recently shifting to Trump, who has hinted at a potential 2024 presidential run. Trump and Biden face off on election night. Trump will run for the US Senate in a contentious election in Ohio while the president speaks at a rally in Maryland.
“Wake-up call”
Polls show that Republicans are likely to win a solid House majority, and the political environment has been shifting away from the Democrats since the summer. Glenn Youngkin, the Republican governor of Virginia, made a bullish weekend prediction: “This is going to be a wake-up call to President Biden.”
Although the Senate is more evenly divided, Democratic chances of maintaining control of the upper house, which they do thanks to the tie-breaking votes of Vice President Kamala Harris, are still in jeopardy.
Republican candidates have “a bit more potential,” according to Dave Wasserman of the nonpartisan Cook Political Report, with late-comers.
However, Wasserman said on Monday on MSNBC, “I don’t think the bottom has fully dropped out for House Democrats.”However, he predicted that the GOP may pick up 15 to 25 seats in the House, while “Republicans might pick up the one member they need to win control of the Senate.”
A projected picture finish has been predicted in races in Pennsylvania, Nevada, Arizona, Georgia, Wisconsin, New Hampshire, and Ohio, and any one of these might tip the scales.
Democrats have concentrated their closing remarks on voting rights, defending access to abortion, welfare, and the threat posed by Trump Republicans’ growing acceptance of political conspiracies.
Republicans are attempting to turn the midterm elections into a referendum on the president by arguing that a vote for the Democrats will result in continued high inflation and increased violent crime. With a 42 percent popularity rating, Biden has mainly shied away from the most divisive states.
But as part of a frenetic late campaign schedule that has also taken him to Illinois, Florida, and even New York, he campaigned alongside Obama on Saturday in Pennsylvania.
The president chastised the extreme Trump backers, telling the crowd, “Your right to choose is on the ballot. On the ballot is your right to vote.
Decline and fall
Trump, who continues to spread false allegations that the 2020 election was rigged, held a parallel rally over the weekend in the swing state of Pennsylvania and blamed the “radical, wild” Democrats for “the degradation and destruction of America.”
Biden may be proud of significant accomplishments including lowering the cost of prescription medications, stepping up semiconductor production, and making record-high infrastructure spending.
But Democrats have had trouble igniting enthusiasm in the Midwest with these legislative successes and robust job growth. Nevertheless, a final national NBC News survey found that 48 percent of likely voters preferred a Democratic-controlled Congress, while 47 percent preferred a Republican-led one. However, a Washington Post-ABC poll found that eighty percent of Republican-leaning respondents are either certain to vote or have already done so, six points more than the Democratic figure.
House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy said he would prioritize investigations into the chaotic Afghanistan pullout and the origins of the coronavirus — and left open the possibility of starting impeachment proceedings. If Republicans take control of the House, McCarthy would likely succeed Nancy Pelosi as speaker.
McCarthy told CNN, “We will never use impeachment for political ends.” “That doesn’t mean something wouldn’t be used at another time if it rises to the occasion,” the author said.
