Republicans Didn't Get A Red-Wave; They Got A Red-Warning

A "Red-Wave" didn't come in the 2022 Mid-Terms. However, what Republicans did receive was a "Red-Warning".

Leading up to the mid-terms, admittingly, I had hoped for a Republican wave that would sweep through the country but I had a bit of skepticism about key elections. At the top of that list, was the race between Fetterman and Dr. Oz.

Pennsylvania is a contentious battleground state that is difficult for any Republican to outright win but this Senate race was of high interest because Fetterman clearly has had cognitive issues since his stroke. Yet, Dr. Oz still lost to him.

Dr. Oz was always a weak candidate who stood on one premise as to why you should vote for him: Trump gave him his endorsement. I watched his Republican primary debate post-endorsement & most of his answers included Trump's name but Trump's name didn't elevate him to a victory.

This confirmed to me that Oz had no political substance, he just wanted power. But what made it worse was that Trump endorsed him for the worst possible reason: because he's famous. Trump's words were that he sees TV as a popularity contest, meaning, Oz is popular in his eyes.

The problem is that Trump doesn't understand that his election win in 2016 was an anomaly, not the norm, and applying a celebrity focus strategy to win elections was a faulty one. Even more so, Trump overestimates the power of his endorsement outside of the Republican primaries.

Trump doesn't understand that 2022 (and beyond) is not 2016. People voted for Trump because he was an intriguing unknown within politics & the alternative of Hillary Clinton wasn't appealing to many either. We've seen him govern, we've seen his messaging & we know his flaws.

Whether it was Trump's doing or the media's doing (or both), Trump's name is tainted because it conjures up a divisive image for voters, making him a love him or hate him figure but people like this don't do well in general elections because these elections are about mass appeal.

Trump putting his name on candidates in purple states or areas, especially those facing strong Democrat candidates, can be viewed by moderates and independents as a tainting of a candidacy & can embolden people to vote for preventing another "Trumplican" from taking office.

This mid-term was a warning to Republicans to understand that mass appeal is important and to realize the glory days of 2016 Trump are gone for many voters and the unknown mystique has dissipated.

Voters vote for other things besides policy. For example, they may vote because of a politician’s charisma, speaking ability, and rhetoric. Not everyone has time to spend hours upon hours digging into candidates, so they instead go off of gut feelings, relatability, and likeability.

I can understand why someone may not find Trump likable or finds his rhetoric style distasteful. This type of character in politics doesn't work long term & in general elections. The answer is obvious: if Republicans want a future, they need to distance themselves from Trump.

I say this as someone who would vote for Trump if the alternate option is Biden but I'm not blind to see how Trump's branding within the world of politics is a divisive one. We saw record turnout in 2020 not for Biden but against Trump & resurrecting Trump for 2024 is a mistake.

The "Red-Warning" has a "Red-Solution": Convince Ron DeSantis to run for 2024 and pray that Trump gets the hint to not run. Ron went from winning by tens of thousands of votes in a battleground state election to a landslide victory in 4 years because he appealed to the masses.

DeSantis is Trump-Esque in policies but without the baggage of Trump. DeSantis has had a message about welcoming people and fighting for all Floridians, to the point of convincing Democrat districts to vote for him. He found a way to appeal to the masses while staying on message.

No matter how hard the media tries to smear him, DeSantis only gets more popular. DeSantis wouldn't draw out the "anti-vote" voters in a general election like Trump & has the charm to convince the middle to give him a chance. He has mass appeal written all over him; Trump doesn't.

I'm not a Republican but I fervently want sane, rational yet principled people in office. I want politicians who attempt to speak to all of us and not some of us. I'm an independent who wants less divisiveness & more rationality. I don't hate Trump but Trump is not this guy.

For the long-term success of the Republican party, Republicans need to elevate DeSantis. You can't play political fantasy football by thinking you'll be able to draft him later because there are no guarantees of a later.