There’s a prevailing narrative coming from Republicans on Capitol Hill. They’re seeing the polls, reading the articles, and they’re thinking they’re going to cruise to victory in the 2022 midterm elections. If recent history has taught us anything, it’s that such bravado is foolish this early in the contest.
In the first episode of The JD Rucker Political Report on America Out Loud radio, I dove into the topic of the 2022 election. First, I offered an introduction to the show and to my perspectives. This was a necessary prelude to the topic at hand; those who read NOQ Report or The Liberty Daily know who I am just as those who have heard my previous shows on Freedom First Network know me, but this is a new audience so introductions were in order.
After briefly detailing who I am, I dove into discussing my three fears about the 2022 election. But as I am wont to do, I didn’t express them as concerns. Instead, I tackled them the way I tackle any problem. I addressed them and offered solutions.
First and foremost, the GOP needs to stop talking about losing issues like impeachment. I want Joe Biden impeached as much as anybody and I’m very hopeful that if Republicans win majorities in the House and Senate that they’ll go after him with everything they have. But it’s not a winning campaign issue. In fact, it could be the very thing that turns off Independents as well as the growing number of Democrat voters who are not pleased with the direction their party is taking the country.
Most Americans were sick of impeachments before the first Trump impeachment concluded. By the second one, polls showed the American people were furious that they were doing it all again, but at that point the election was over so Democrats felt they had nothing to lose. Promising to impeach Joe Biden as soon as Republicans have a majority is an easy way to prevent that majority from manifesting.
The second piece of advice is to learn from what voters do in the age of the internet. That means they need to offer solutions. Prior to the internet, anger was a driving force in pretty much every power-flipping election. Reagan focused on reminding people how abysmal life under Jimmy Carter was. He didn’t really have to get into too many solutions.
Things are different now. Republicans had demonstrated they know this to be true in 2010 and 2014 when they flipped the House and Senate respectively. Their secret was focusing on Obamacare and saying that given the power, they will repeal it. Today’s GOP seems to be latching onto the first step of declaring the problems but thus far they’ve said nothing about what they’re going to do to fix them.
Voters don’t just want to hear that gas prices are high. They want to know the GOP has a plan to make gas prices lower. They don’t just want to hear rants about Covid tests. They want to know a Republican majority will address Covid-19 properly. Ranting is only part of the strategy, the part that gets people’s attention. But to flip voters to their side, they then have to offer tangible solutions to the problems Americans face.
The final piece of advice for the GOP is to stop ignoring voter fraud, particularly from the 2020 election. It’s a shame that many if not most Republican lawmakers believe the 2020 election was fair. It was stolen and more Americans are coming to this realization everyday. But out of fear of being called out as a “voter fraud conspiracy theorist,” most Republican lawmakers are silent or even outright claim the 2020 election was not stolen.
Most are talking about election reform that includes strengthening safeguards, and that’s great. But they also need to identify those who engaged in voter fraud in 2020. Then, they need to charge, prosecute, and jail these people. If they do not, they’re telling future voter fraud operatives that there are no repercussions for attempting to steal the election. As a result, the 2022 midterms may not end up the way the GOP believes it will.
It’s an honor to be on American Out Loud radio. The first episode was fun. The future episodes, which broadcast at 7pm Eastern Monday-Friday, will be even better.
