Steven Hayward writes at the Power Line blog about Democrats’ questionable approach to new-found federal power.
There is something strange about the behavior of Biden and the Democrats that can be best explained by a combination of Progressive mania and panic that their power might well slip away from them unless they lock it down by changing the rules in their favor and whipping up paranoia within key minority groups who are showing signs of slipping away. Hence the relentless charges of racism. …
… It was initially thought that Hispanic men were attracted to the “macho” Trump, but as the data has come in, it appears that Trump improved his performance more with Hispanic women than men, which will add to Democratic paranoia. …
… Some thoughts going forward: Right now, it seems likely that the economy will enjoy a boom—maybe a considerable boom—over the next year as we come out of the pandemic and the huge sugar high of Biden’s reckless spending rolls out. But this doesn’t necessarily mean that Democrats will benefit in next year’s midterm. Look back at 1966, when the economy was booming under LBJ, but voters didn’t like the excesses of the Great Society. Republicans had one of their best midterm elections, picking up over 40 House seats.
If Biden governed from the center, and, for example, struck a deal with the 10 Republican Senators who offered a compromise on the third pandemic relief bill, as well as the proposed infrastructure bill, he might blunt some of the likely backlash against his high-octane Progressivism, as well as dividing his Republican opposition. …
… With a 50/50 Senate and nearly even House, this does seem like really bad politics on Biden’s part.
The early line: Republicans are going to sweep both houses of Congress next year.
Hayward, of course, knows quite a bit about a former president with much stronger political instincts.
