So many of us have high hopes for the mid-term elections in November.  The republican candidates, democrats say, are running scared of that big “blue wave” — the vast majority of voters who will vote the democratic ticket simply because Trump has been such an abomination, a failed experiment.  And it may well be that the GOP is running … well, if not exactly ‘scared’, at least nervous.  And so … they have developed a strategy:  emulate Trump.  If it worked for Donald Trump in 2016, it can, they believe, work for them in 2018.  What they fail to consider is that in more than a year of Trump, many of us have soured on him, seen him for the brash, crass monster he really is, and we will do everything in our power to ensure there are no more like him.  But, am I right? 🤔

Mike Braun, the Indiana candidate for U.S. Senate, is parroting Trump’s rhetoric, speaking of ‘draining the swamp, disparaging the Mueller investigation, and even calling for those tired old chants of “Lock her up!”  Sheesh … when will they realize that Hillary Clinton poses no threat and leave her alone? Indiana, in fact, appears to have three locos running for the senate seat, and the other two are just as bad as Braun.  Todd Rokita proudly slaps on a red “Make America Great Again” cap in a new ad as he promises to “proudly stand with our president and Mike Pence to drain the swamp.” Oh, puh-leeeze.  And in the spirit of Trump, the third candidate, Luke Messer, refers to Rokita as “Lyin’ Todd”.  Anyone else feeling sick yet?

The other thing the republican candidates fail to consider is that Trump did not actually win the election … Hillary Clinton won the popular vote by 2.8 million, even though Trump had help from the Russians, from gerrymandered districting, from social media, and from Jim Comey’s ‘October surprise’.  Were it not for the machinations of the electoral college, Trump would still be sitting in Trump Tower sucking his thumb and whining about how unfair it all was.

Don Blankenship, running on the republican ticket for U.S. Senator from West Virginia, says, “We don’t need to investigate our president. We need to arrest Hillary,” in one of his campaign ads.  Funny thing about that … Blankenship himself spent a year in prison, being released less than a year ago. Like his hero Trump, he also has almost no experience in government, but is a coal mine operator.  Think on that one for a minute … coal mine owner … senator … oh the opportunities for corruption! Interestingly, I have heard Blankenship referred to as “the most hated man in West Virginia”, as well as “the next Roy Moore”.  I may have to do a profile on this one …

In Tennessee, Marsha Blackburn, who is hoping to fill the seat being vacated by Bob Corker, brags about her ‘shooting skills’ and the gun that she keeps in her purse at all times, and then promises to “stand with Mr. Trump every step of the way to build that wall.”

So, one might think that if the republicans are going to push forth with the same messages of hate and violence that Trump did, democrats, being above all that, have yet another thing in their favour, yes?  But don’t jump too soon.  Democratic strategist Philippe Reines is advising democratic candidates to put away Michelle Obama’s slogan of “When they go low, we go high”, and instead get in the pig pen and slough around with the rest of the bunch.

“Trump never says, ‘I’m not dignifying that with an answer. He has no dignity. He leaves no attack unanswered. I spent 15 years recommending ignoring stupidity. ‘It has no legs. Don’t give it oxygen. There’s no pickup.’ I was wrong.”

My personal opinion is that no, Mr. Reines, you were not wrong, that at the end of the day, a strong platform coupled with grace, dignity, kindness and compassion win the race.  But am I right?  🤔

Republican political strategist, Frank Luntz, claims, “Today the goal is linguistic. We are no longer rewarding policy; we are rewarding rhetoric.”

That, my friends, is frightening.  It says that the voters don’t care about, don’t consider policies and platforms, but merely how the candidate speaks.  And the louder, the more brash, the more foul language and threats, the happier the voters are.  Have we really become such an ignorant, shallow nation?

Republican Josh Hawley, the Missouri attorney general who is running for Senate, has degrees from Yale and Stanford. He clerked for Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr.  One might expect him to be an intellectual, well-spoken, right?  Yet in a recent speech, he copied Trump almost word-for-word when he claimed there is a big conspiracy between Hollywood, Wall Street, and democrats to rig the system against the republicans.  Say what???

Mid-term elections typically cost the president’s party some seats in Congress, as people are finding the fatal flaws in the president and his policies.  I think that effect should be multiplied this year, as we are caught up in a tangled web of corruption and lies that center around the president.  But, am I wrong?  🤔  Are enough people still enamored of a ‘man’ who consistently lies, cheats and steals, a ‘man’ with a loud and vulgar mouth who cannot even string a few words into a coherent sentence?

Throughout Trump’s 2015-2016 campaign, he never once spoke of actual policies, but rather his ‘policy’ was verbalized in the form of a threat.  A threat to rid the nation of Muslims.  A threat to build a wall to keep our Mexican friends out.  A threat to roll back regulations that were protecting our environment.  A threat to pull out of the Iran deal, the international trade agreements, and the Paris Accords.  A threat to destroy the democratic values that we once held dear.  If the GOP candidates follow in Trump’s footsteps, they should not be able to compete successfully, for we have seen where Trump’s threats have led us.  But … am I wrong?  🤔