Midterm Elections: Redrawing the American Political Landscape?

Not only is this election a rematch for control of both houses of Congress between the Democrats and Republicans, it is also considered an "early presidential election" and is redrawing the picture of American politics.

The President is the main character

“Judgment Day” or “Decision Day” are phrases used by the American press when referring to the midterm congressional elections on November 6. History has shown that this is an extremely important election, which greatly determines the shape of American politics in the remaining half of a President’s term.

But this midterm election is even more important. It is considered a "test" of President Donald Trump's ability to govern - the most special President in US history - as well as his political future direction.

President Trump at a campaign rally in Indiana. Photo: Bloomberg

For nearly two years, since entering the White House after a dramatic and surprising election, President Donald Trump has shocked the United States and the world with unprecedented decisions.

Donald Trump's "strange" way of governing has gone far beyond conventional thinking, causing many people to openly question whether he is suitable to hold a decisive role in many important issues of the country.

That is why many American voters believe that the incumbent President is the deciding factor in their vote in this election. The results of a survey by the PEW Research Center published in October 2018 showed that 6/10 voters considered Mr. Trump an important factor in their vote.

Also because of the special interest of voters, the voting rate is said to be higher than usual. Normally, young people are often not enthusiastic about midterm congressional elections, however, according to a survey, up to 40% confirmed that they will vote.

The White House owner himself admitted that although his name was not on the ballot, this midterm election was like a referendum on his role as President over the past two years.

That is why, over the past two weeks, Mr. Donald Trump has been heavily involved in the election campaign as the "prime candidate" of the Republican Party.

Donald Trump himself has been traveling from state to state, hoping to use his influence to support Republican candidates and energize supporters across the country.

In Republican battleground states, Mr. Trump's message has been mainly about issues such as economic growth and immigration - issues that are always of interest to Republican voters.

By pointing out economic achievements and tough statements on the wave of immigrants, the 45th President of the United States wants to prove to voters that he can not only talk but also do, with the highest goal of "America first".

If the Republicans win the midterm elections, maintaining their majorities in both the Senate and the House of Representatives will be a huge boost for Mr. Trump to push forward his “America First” strategy, at least for the rest of his term.

In the event that the election exposes voters' distrust of President Trump, not only will his remaining time in office be tumultuous, but the prospect of a second term for him will also fade.

What scenario?

Midterm congressional elections in the United States have historically seen the incumbent president's party lose seats to the opposing party. If history repeats itself, Democrats will control the House of Representatives and Republicans the Senate after this election.

In fact, pre-election polls have shown similar results. If this scenario plays out, both parties have a significant advantage in passing their own agendas or blocking their opponents’ proposals.

For example, the Democrats' control of the House of Representatives will allow the party to launch investigations into the Trump administration and obstruct the legislative agenda of the White House owner in particular and the Republican Party in general, such as immigration issues, tax cuts, reversing the Obamacare law..., and even impeach the president.

However, like the 2016 presidential election, this election also has many unexpected factors. It is possible that the Republican Party will continue to control both houses of Congress, which would be a resounding victory for President Donald Trump.

The results of the US midterm elections show what Americans think about President D. Trump. Photo: Vox

Whatever the scenario, according to analysts, the United States in the next two years will not be able to escape the "deep-rooted" problem of division, and this situation will even become worse.

The midterm election campaign of the past few days has shown that both the Republican and Democratic parties have been constantly “throwing” attacks at each other just to gain as many votes as possible, with neither side intending or offering solutions for social healing.

One side highlights the “surface” achievements that America has made in the past two years. The other side focuses on criticizing the current administration for what it has done to American values ​​and achievements over the past decades.

According to observers, if the Democratic Party takes power in the House of Representatives, many political decisions will certainly be deadlocked. Any bill proposed by the Democratic Party, even if passed by both houses, can be completely rejected by the President. Or conversely, any controversial decision of the President will hardly be passed in the House of Representatives....

Therefore, no matter what the results of this midterm election are, when the battle is over, America’s inherent problems will still be there. In other words, the midterm election will portray a picture of American politics, in which the color scheme changes but the structure remains the same. Therefore, perhaps, in the coming time, the world will continue to witness confrontations and struggles within the United States./.