Midterm Elections: Redrawing the American Political Landscape?

Not only is this election a rematch for control of both houses of Congress between the Democratic and Republican parties, 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 will greatly determine 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 during 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 many times 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 up to 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 mid-term congressional elections, however, according to a survey, up to 40% confirmed that they will vote.

The White House owner himself also 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 participated heavily in the election campaign as a "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 mainly focused on issues such as economic growth and immigration restrictions - issues that are always of concern to Republican voters.

By pointing out economic achievements and tough statements on immigration, 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 second half 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?

The history of midterm elections in the US has often shown that the incumbent president's party loses seats to the opposing party. If history repeats itself, the Democrats will control the House of Representatives and the 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 pushing through their 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 not impossible that the Republican Party continues to control both houses and that would be a resounding victory for President Donald Trump.

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

Whatever the scenario, according to analysts, the US 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 get as many votes as possible, with neither side having any intention or offering solutions for social healing.

One side emphasizes 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 Democrats take power in the House of Representatives, many political decisions will certainly be deadlocked. Any bill proposed by the Democrats, 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 depict 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./.