The 2018 mid-term election creates a situation for 2020 that is similar to what happened after the 2006 mid-term election. If this assessment is correct, then look for some of the following:
- When the Democrats took the House in 2006, they set about to undermine then President Bush at every turn regardless of the impact on the nation. They burned the economy to the ground but succeeded in blaming it all on lame duck Bush. The result was that in 2008 the Democrat Party gained control of the presidency, senate and house. Since their “burn it to the ground” strategy worked after 2006, expect a repeat heading into 2020. (Maxine Waters, likely head of the House Finance Committee, has already threatened revenge against the banking and investment industries.)
- The Democrats will attempt to push through additional healthcare legislation and they will do it in such a way that Obamacare is enhanced and expanded. Their overall intent has always been to use Obamacare as a vehicle to advance national health services similar to those in Europe. When Senator McCain voted against the Obamacare repeal, his vote left in place the structure of that program and prevented its replacement with something better. Over the next two years, the Republican leadership will resist attempts to advance anything directly related to Obamacare. There may be some cosmetic changes to healthcare but nothing of substance – and nothing that includes unaffordable pre-existing conditions.
- Illegal immigration will remain at the top of the concerns of the American citizenry. President Trump has indicated he considers the caravans to represent an invasion not a benign migration. The immediate question is what will happen when the illegal invaders come in contact with the US military at the border. Border violence is almost certain to occur and the media will show emotional scenes that support open borders. Regardless of the screams of unfairness and injustice, nothing of substance will be done to solve the illegal immigration problems.
- Planned impeachment actions against both President Trump and Justice Kavanaugh are a sham and the Democrats know it. Nevertheless, they will go ahead with show trials to placate their “frothing at the mouth” base. Impeachment talk and related action in the House will drive more violence in the streets. Immediately after the mid-term election, ANTIFA thugs, the violent arm of the Democrat/Socialist Party, began harassing and threatening opponents.
- President Trump will attempt to moderate his “twitter” tone but this will only be seen as a sign of weakness. The leftist media led by CNN and MSNBC will continue to insult the President. Unfortunately, the Trump presidency will be dogged with media bias throughout the remainder of his terms. (Jim Acosta of CNN had his press credentials revoked after a physical and emotional altercation during a Presidential briefing. Look for more of that type of arrogant and nasty behavior from the leftist press. By the way, the Fox News election coverage was shocking when it called the results of the House elections before the polls closed in the West.)
- There will be major cabinet replacements in President Trump’s administration over the next few months. This is not unexpected but the question is what type of people will replace those already in the administration. Possibly the most critical replacements are in the Department of Justice. The firing of AG Jeff Sessions and the likely replacement of deputy AG Rod Rosenstein portends a tougher tone when it comes to dealing with political crime. If this is the case, look for “fireworks” that involving the indictment of key Obama FBI, DOJ and Intelligence officials and possibly, but unlikely, Hillary Clinton.
- The political parties will both undergo a seismic shift. The Democrat/Socialist Party is now embracing a global socialist agenda not unlike that of Western Europe. Nations and citizenry are of little importance to them, while fully open borders and open access to a nation’s welfare and resources are embraced. Free higher education, free healthcare, free jobs, free everything is now firmly established within the Democrat/Socialist Party ideology. The Republican Party will continue to become more conservative and more America First. A lot of the Republican’s that left the political arena or lost their seats during the mid-term were out of touch with the concerns of their base. Both the Democrat/Socialist Party and the Republican Party will shift further to the extremes.
The question of greatest importance is which political party will benefit in 2020. Will President Trump be reelected? Will he reinvigorate the Republican base and reverse the Democrat control in the House? Will he keep the Senate in Republican hands? He has two years to finish his Make America Great Again agenda and to set the stage for a Keep America Great future. We shall see whether we go back to the not so nice future or leap ahead as the exceptional nation we have been and, hopefully, still want to be.