November 6, 2018 will be a very interesting day. I don't know how it will turn out, but I'm sure of one thing. If the democrats gain any significant number of congressional seats, it will be touted as a widespread repudiation of Donald Trump and republican values. What will be overlooked by these media outlets is the fact that it is very far from unusual for the midterm elections during an administration's first term to result in seat losses. Normally it is just a matter of degree.
In the 2010 midterm elections during Barack Obama's first term, the democrats lost 63 seats in the House of Representatives returning the majority to the republicans. The republicans gained six Senate seats, but the democrats retained their majority.
The vast number of seat changes in the House of Represntatives was the largest since 1948. Also the largest midterm election change since 1938. Only one-third of Senators were up for re-election so a 6 seat loss is not completely insubstantial.
The point is, one should remember these figures when digesting the news coverage of the forthcoming results. The Obama administration's 2010 seat losses were truly monumental and historical. Maybe next Tuesday's results will be comparable, maybe not. But we should make sure that the results are properly compared with the 2010 midterms, and with previous first term midterms in general. Because it would be far from shocking to see the mainstream media portray the results in a manner which vigorously advances their transparent agenda. While at the same time failing to utilize appropriate perspective based on the past. The balanced perspective which is vital in the presenting of accurate news to voters and all Americans.
Hey, if the results do match Obama's losses or sets a new standard, then by all means vigorously report what did take place and get the discourse going because it's gonna greatly elevate the importance of the 2020 general election.
- Birney K. Brown
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