It’s Official
I wrote an article in September regarding the upcoming midterms posing a simple question. Midterm Elections: Are Americans That Stupid? Now that voting has completed and as usual, days later everything is still up in the air— is anyone surprised? So, the answer to the question is a resounding, YES— in many states, Americans actually are that stupid. This article will focus on the reasons why, because obvious mistakes were made. Note to reader: Yes, I am aware that Republicans regained the US House but this fact doesn’t alter the message of this article, so I have decided not to change a word.
The Red Wave
By all accounts leading up to the midterms, a Red Wave should have taken place. Even Democrats were bracing for it. Why you ask? A number of factors. (1) According to all polls, 78% of Americans felt the US was heading in the wrong direction. (2) If that weren’t enough, all it took was whats going on in democrat controlled cities and states across the US to give any rational human being with any modicum of common sense to think twice before voting for literally any democrat. The lock-downs during covid-19, disastrous remote learning because of school closures. (3) Inflation due to deceptive congressional bills passed virtually on party lines. (4) Vaccine mandates. (5) Bought gas recently? (6) Live in a state where homes are heated by fuel oil? (7), five million plus illegal aliens welcomed into the US with open arms with our tax dollars pretty much paying for everything during their stay— putting them up in 600 dollar a night hotels and at the same time, closing down a brand new tent complex costing 350 THOUSAND dollars just to move and erect. And let’s not forget the fact that along with those five million, there have been over one million got-away’s where we have absolutely no idea who or where they are and even more concerning— why they’re here. Add (8) crime that continues to skyrocket in large cities controlled by Democrats to the mix and anyone would sincerely believe a red wave was about to hit. Not only in national elections, but state elections as well. But that didn’t happen. Let’s take a quick look at just a few examples.
New York— Governor
When you think of the Governor’s race in New York, two things come immediately to mind. With everything going on in New York City— crime, drugs and homelessness, how on earth did Kathy Hochul win her election by somewhere around 350 THOUSAND votes? Granted— when it comes to New York and electing their Governor, New York City basically makes the call. But the head-scratcher is because New York City has been under Democrat control for years, it has become a shithole city for quite some time now. People are escaping New York in droves. The only ones taking the subway are those with no other option. These few facts alone should have been enough to elect Lee Zeldon. Who knows, because of all the judicial reforms including cashless bail, perhaps NYC’s largest voting block are the criminals themselves. The question remains, how did a little over three million voters in New York completely dismiss the facts above and vote for Hochul? Oh, and the second thing that comes immediately to mind is the rest of us thanking GOD we don’t live in New York. Next we have…..
Senator Elect from Pennsylvania
What can one say other than WOW! Seriously? 2.7 Million voted for this guy. Common sense flew right out the window in this state. Again, like New York was up to the large cities. I know— holds true with any state having very large cities. We’ll get into this a little later on because it’s important. John Fetterman won his election by 230 THOUSAND votes. It truly boggles the mind. The only answer for this I can think of is that Fetterman matched the Hubcap scenario. Anyone with a “D” next to their name would have won. All Pennsylvania wanted was a rubber stamp. With Fetterman? They definitely got it. Now we come to…
Michigan— Governor
Again— Almost 2.5 Million Michigan voters tossed all logic into nearby lakes and voted for Gretchen Whitmer. Schools locked down. Dictatorial restrictions to the residents. How many small businesses were shut down— some never returning due to her actions. I personally was amazed Tudor Dixon lost her bid for Governor. Just goes to show that even someone with all the right answers can still lose. Stupidity in some states knows no bounds. Last but by no means least is…
Illinois— Governor
Yet another WOW… seriously?— moment. How the hell did JB Pritzker win Illinois by close to 450 THOUSAND votes? Especially with the upcoming legislation coming into effect January 2023 basically decriminalizing all crime. Over 2.1 Million Illinois voters voted for this guy. His win defies all logic. All I can say is that many Illinois residents will be joining New York and California planning their own mass exodus next year.
WHO— in their right minds would vote for these people?
You see, that’s the point of this segment. These midterm elections have defied all logic. Again, according to all polls, 78% of all American voters say America is heading in the wrong direction. And when you include all the shit going on in the US and in certain states, a Red Wave should have been an inevitability. But it didn’t come close. And while we can’t cry over spilt milk, (what’s done is done) we can try to answer the question— How did this happen and what can we do about it?
The question warrants being repeated. When you have 78% of the country saying America is heading in the wrong direction, how did Democrats retain the Senate and why is the House still basically up for grabs with no real info yet on who the majority will be. It just doesn’t make any sense. Note: As of the writing of this article, it does appear Republicans will retake the House.) Those who voted democrat throughout these midterms are basically saying…..
- 1. They support open borders.
- 2. They support the drugs and human trafficking that go hand in hand with open borders.
- 3. They support Mexican cartels taking over the US/Mexico border.
- 4. They support high fuel costs.
- 5. They don’t mind paying 40% or more for their groceries.
- 6. They support skyrocketing crime in their cities.
- 7. They support cashless bail so criminals can get out in less than 24 hours just to commit more crime.
- 8. They support schools indoctrinating their children.
Here’s where it gets interesting. Next time you talk to someone who voted for a Democrat for either the US House or the US Senate ask them if they in fact support the eight points stated above and you’ll be hard pressed to find anyone who will admit it. And when they do admit they don’t and probably never did support any— if not all of the above, ask them the following question. “Then why did you just vote for it?” Their answer will most likely be about one issue such as abortion (especially the young voters).
In my previous article, Questions to Answer Before you Vote— I tried to warn the reader about this and the consequences with voting on just one issue, or an advertisement they saw on TV or Social Media without properly researching the issue on their own before voting. There are other reasons to be sure which we’ll get into. Because in order to move beyond this, we have to have a pretty good idea as to why what took place during the midterm elections, took place and come up with a better way to convince voters that a different course of action would have and will be better than the road we’re currently on.
Pointing Fingers
When something doesn’t go the way you’re absolutely certain it will, the very first thing that happens after everyone shakes their collective heads in disbelief is the finger pointing. We need to blame someone. The trouble is that it’s never that simple. Well, in some cases it is— like when right before the election, Lindsey Graham gets on National TV and says he wants Federal restrictions on abortion. I can’t begin to imagine how many votes that cost republicans with that stunt he pulled right before a midterm election because people believed him and thought it was definitely a possibility (even though it never was). But beyond that seemingly intentional blunder, the rest is fairly simple to figure out. Let’s make a list and quickly go through them one by one.
- 1. Stupid People
- 2. Stupid Politicians
- 3. Baked-in Ideology
- 4. Conflation
- 5. Single Issue Vote
- 6. Tell Me Lies, Tell Me Sweet Little Lies
- 7. Indoctrination of the youth
- 8. Social and Mainstream Media/Big Tech
- 9. Optics
- 10. Really Bad Campaign Commercials
1. Stupid People
Now don’t blow a gasket, I’d like to think I’m smart enough to include myself in this category. Most of the American public knows very little when it comes to politics and governance whether it’s Local, State or Federal. I have no clue who the mayor of my city is let alone the names of anyone on the city counsel. Judges? Not a clue. City and State attorney? Ditto (except I am aware that the State Attorney is a woman and that’s only because I’ve seen her on the news during an interview. School Board? Nope, not a soul. Suffice to say that most of us are in the same boat which is why we always look for that “R” or “D” next to the names of candidates running for office. In most instances, it’s enough for us in making our choice. The difficult part is when there is no “R” or “D” next to the names of candidates such as Judges or school board candidates. That is when you have to do your homework on these individuals in order to make an informed decision. That’s the main reason why you receive a sample ballot weeks before an election. Homework!
But alas, when it comes to casting your vote, most have very little knowledge of down ballot issues. When it comes to large elections every two years, half the ballot is a crap shoot. Pick a name, any name and hope it works out for the best afterwards. Why? Well? Who wants to do homework?— Thought so…
If it Ain’t Broke— Don’t Fix It
This is the main reason why incumbent office holders are re-elected. If everything is going well in your town, city, state and the path our country is on is the path your US Representatives and Senator votes for in the US House and Senate, then by all means, give them your vote. But if where you live isn’t and the only words coming out of the mouths of your elected officials are excuses while pointing fingers and saying “more work needs to be done,” and you feel that your view of the path our country is on is not the view of your elected US Representatives and Senators— that’s a huge red flag, warning a change is in order.
Now I would be remiss if I didn’t say that in many areas of the US, people have and are continuing to see the light in regards to what they have been going through where they live including the devastating path the US is on. Changes have been made and more will be forthcoming. Unfortunately, I can’t include many others, they will have to continue suffering in their cities and states due to the stupidity of the majority (however slight) of their fellow residents who voted for the status quo.
2. Stupid Politicians
The number one STUPID POLITICIAN of the 2022 Midterms Award goes to (you guessed it) Lindsey Graham for the statements he made regarding abortion right before a national election. What a moronic thing to say and I like the guy— although I don’t agree with some of his views. Don’t get me wrong, I’m certain he sincerely believes and stands behind his statement but, it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to know that would never happen. There will never be enough votes in Congress to pass anything of a Federal nature regarding abortion. Why do you think SCOTUS threw it back to the states to decide? For those of you who have yet to read my article on Abortion, please read it. Abortion should never have been an issue in National elections with candidates explaining why.
3. Baked-in Ideology
I’m afraid to say that there will always be times when you just can’t fix stupid. Or at the very least, you get tired of trying. There’s nothing wrong with being ideological just as long as you’re at the very least willing to listen to other points of view and possibly have a discussion on them. But when your beliefs are so baked in that you’re willing to cut off your nose to spite your face voting for continued failure in cities like New York, Chicago, New Orleans, Los Angeles San Francisco and in states like Oregon, Washington, New York, California, Pennsylvania? Well— like I said, there are times when you just can’t fix stupid. Hence the Hubcap statement.
4. Conflation— Federal vs. State
Interesting, isn’t it? Look at most any candidate in National elections be it Democrat or Republican and what do they both have in common? They go on and on about issues they can do virtually nothing about on a Federal level. Two hot-button issues that come immediately to mind are crime and abortion. Voting for any candidate solely on these two issues would be the same as throwing away your vote. All it does is completely confuse the uninformed voter (which most voters are).
5. Single Issue Vote
I’m going to save myself a ton of typing by referring you to a recent article I wrote titled Questions to Answer Before you Vote. Please read it.
6. Tell Me Lies, Tell Me Sweet Little Lies
For all you young whippersnappers out there, the line above is from a Fleetwood Mac song titled Little Lies. Let’s face it, to a degree, everyone lies. And to a degree (depending on the lie) many just let them slide. From “Yes Honey, I (gulp) love that new dress you just bought,” requiring nothing more than perhaps a stern knowing look from her face to— “Republicans want to end Social Security and Medicare.” Big difference, huh? One may be considered a white lie while another can affect an entire country.
When it comes to politics, politicians, pundits and the media behind them isn’t so much the lies they tell to their readers, listeners and viewers with complete almost arrogant disregard for the truth— most of us can see through that. But for a large swath of the American public, it’s the almost desperate need to not only believe those lies but to repeat them with that same disregard even though every fiber of their being knows it’s wrong. But they do it anyways with a smile on their faces. It’s gotten so bad now that even fact checkers need fact checkers.
7. Indoctrination of the Youth
There’s an old saying— Everyone is born a Democrat then eventually come to their senses! Some attribute this quote to Harold Weir from Freeks and Geeks just a few years ago but I’ve been hearing that saying for decades so, who knows. The point is, we’re finally seeing the fruition from liberal College’s and University’s. The youth vote turnout in the 2022 midterms broke records, basically saving many democrats their seats.
Now, let me be clear— for the most part, when it comes to youth— most, not all but most don’t give a rats ass who they vote for. For the guys, if it will get them a date with the cute girl or even better— laid, they’ll vote for a 14 day old chicken sandwich sitting in dogshit. For the girls, they’ll pretty much vote the same way their group or clique of friends vote just to fit in. Hey, I was young once (about 1000 years ago) but it was never as bad as it is today. Not even close. “Gotta love social media,” he said sarcastically.
This is one of the main reasons why Nancy Pelosi wanted to lower the voting age to 16. She, like the rest of us knows that people between the age of 18 to 30 are the most manipulable age range on the planet. Seeing as liberals control learning institutions, just makes it that much easier. And please save the hate mail I’ll most likely receive. I realize there are always exceptions to every rule but for the most part, I am correct.
8. Social and Mainstream Media/Big Tech
Speaking of social media, it never ceases to amaze me how powerful these platforms are to young people. Perhaps it might be that I’m an old fart. Ya think? But in this particular instance, I’m glad I am. But for many, they live on their phones. Personally, I’ll never understand it. Nevertheless, until they aren’t, they are and will be important platforms which continue to shape the opinions of those who participate in them. Along with the liberal mainstream media— the ends justifying the means play a larger role than the truth. I wrote a three-part series titled Media and the Truth awhile back. If you haven’t read it yet, I highly recommend doing so. The first two parts are short but allow yourself a little extra time for part 3, you won’t regret it.
9. Optics
Politics is perception. Truth is perception because truth in of itself holds very little meaning or value these days until it’s perceived to be the truth. In many cases, optics plays a more valuable role than the truth does because it’s immediate and can sway one’s opinion quicker than you can spit which is the main role of optics. Even if the optics are found to be wrong or based on a lie later on, the damage would have already been done. Again, I wrote about this in the series Media and the Truth and plan on a more in depth article in the near future titled…
Be sure to check it out when it’s placed on the top of the article list on the homepage.
10. Really Bad Campaign Commercials
And last but by no means least are some of the worst campaign commercials I’ve ever seen. Some even cringe worthy. Not all mind you but— damn! I don’t want to know how much money was paid for some of these but one would imagine that with billions of dollars spent during these midterm elections purchasing airtime for campaign advertisements, they could have come up with better ads. It truly is remarkable. Not just how horrible the ads themselves were, but the ones running campaigns who actually approved them.
So, what have the midterms of 2022 taught us? What have we learned? While the infamous Red Wave didn’t materialize in the way most of us expected, we can’t look at these midterms as a loss. Not if we look at the larger picture. Major gains were made in local school boards and in state legislatures. Republicans were able to take back the US House and we now have many opportunities we haven’t had in what seems like a very long time.
In most of my articles here on A Basket of Fish, I try to offer solutions to the issues I raise which end up making said articles extremely long. Perhaps too much for the average reader to take in. Therefore, the solutions for these and other similar issues will be found in my upcoming article— When Republicans Flip the Stupid Switch and one more. (Doing the graphic for ir now).
Until then, I’ll leave you with just one thought. Just because Democrats were able to hang on to the Senate only by virtue of Kamala Harris being the tie breaker means that it vindicates their agenda. Quite the contrary. If we have learned anything from the 2022 Midterms is that many races were won by very slim margins. What does this mean? It means we have our work cut out for us. Piece of cake… right?
