Newsline

Newsline , Society

The Silver Linings from Last Tuesday That Conservatives Shouldn’t Ignore

Posted on Monday, November 14, 2022
|
by Shane Harris
|
90 Comments
House

AMAC Exclusive – By Shane Harris

Following last week’s midterm elections, the prevailing narrative among both Republicans and Democrats is that the GOP woefully underperformed expectations. But while Republicans indeed fell short in too many key races, the night was not without some noteworthy GOP successes – many of which flew under the radar amid more high-profile Democrat victories. Looking ahead to what is now shaping up to be perhaps an even more consequential national election cycle in 2024, conservatives would do well to pay attention to the races where they had unexpected success as well as those where they struggled.

Perhaps the biggest silver lining for Republicans is that the GOP is on track to win the national popular vote in U.S. House elections for the first time since 2016. If current trends hold, Republicans will have swung the electorate about 7 points from 2020 – a definitive rebuke of Democrat policies, no matter how the media and the White House try to spin it. To be sure, the Republican majority in the House of Representatives will be smaller than expected. But the GOP is still likely to flip the chamber, which means that they will be able to block the more radical elements of Joe Biden’s agenda.

Republicans were dealt some significant blows in House races early on in the evening, failing to oust endangered Democrat incumbents in places like the Virginia 10th (Jennifer Wexton) and Ohio 9th (Marcy Kaptur). But the GOP found unexpected success in other places, most notably New York’s 17th Congressional District, where Republican Mike Lawler defeated powerful Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee Chair Sean Patrick Maloney. Though Republican gubernatorial nominee Lee Zeldin lost to incumbent Democrat Kathy Hochul, he outperformed expectations, likely helping Lawler and a number of other New York Republicans in tight House races. Crime was the major focus of Republican candidates throughout the Empire State, further suggesting that law and order is a winning issue for the GOP.

Republicans’ failure to flip the Senate is undoubtedly the biggest disappointment of the election cycle, but even here there were some victories the GOP can learn from. In Florida and Ohio, Republicans Marco Rubio and J.D. Vance easily defeated Democrat Reps. Val Demings and Tim Ryan, both of whom had attempted to pitch themselves as “moderates.” That strategy clearly failed, likely due in no small part to the Rubio and Vance campaigns relentlessly hammering home the fact that Demings and Ryan had voted with Joe Biden and Nancy Pelosi 100 percent of the time in the House. Republicans should keep that in mind two years from now when they try to unseat Joe Manchin (WV) Sherrod Brown (OH) and Jon Tester (MT) – all red-state Democrats who have similarly branded themselves as “moderates” despite compiling a radical voting record.

In Wisconsin, the success of incumbent Republican Ron Johnson – despite the defeat of GOP gubernatorial nominee Tim Michels – shows the path forward for Republicans in swing states. Johnson won without apologizing for his conservative bona fides (including his close association with former President Donald Trump, which the media and some in the conservative establishment are now suggesting was the kiss of death for swing-state Republicans) by focusing heavily on the radical record of his opponent, Mandela Barnes, particularly on crime. With Democrat Senators in nearly a half dozen swing states facing reelection in 2024, Republican hopefuls would do well to study how Johnson leaned into the most popular aspects of the America First agenda to put Barnes on the defensive and paint a stark vision of the future under far-left governance.

Aside from congressional races, conservatives also saw some encouraging signs in down ballot contests that they should not ignore. In particular, concern over indoctrination in K-12 classrooms and parental rights in education led to a wave of success for conservative candidates in school board and superintendent races again this year, much as it did in 2021. The New Yorker sourly reported last Wednesday that “candidates fearmongering about unions and ‘critical race theory’ fared depressingly well” in midterm contests, specifically citing the Superintendent of Education race in South Carolina and dozens of school boards in Florida and Texas that flipped from liberal to conservative. Another story from the Daily Caller highlighted additional races where Republican school board candidates did well.

As AMAC Newsline has extensively reported, indoctrination in schools is a very real phenomenon, and raising concerns about the state of American education is far from “fearmongering.” It is evident that conservatives have public opinion on their side when it comes to keeping politics and left-wing ideologies out of classrooms, and that the mainstream media is perturbed over results in races for education posts should be a sign for the GOP to double down on the issue.

Republicans can also turn to individual results in state legislative races for encouragement. Take, for example, Ohio’s 3rd state Senate district, which comprises parts of Columbus and several inner suburbs. There, Republican Michele Reynolds, a Black businesswoman who emphasized her Christian faith and family values throughout her campaign, defeated incumbent Democrat Tina Maharath in what was considered a safe hold for Democrats. Reynolds’s success was another sign of the emergence of strong female minority candidates within the GOP and an expanding Republican coalition. Similar stories abounded in other states throughout the country, providing a roadmap for future success in both state and federal races.

Though this year’s midterms are ultimately a story of missed opportunities for the GOP, conservatives nonetheless have much to be hopeful about moving forward. Joe Biden is still deeply unpopular, the Democratic coalition is still fracturing, and Republicans have a hugely favorable Senate map in two years. By learning from the failures of 2022 and building upon the few bright spots for the party, Republicans can leverage their control of the House to set the stage to finally deliver on the promised Red Wave.

Shane Harris is a writer and political consultant from Southwest Ohio. You can follow him on Twitter @Shane_Harris_.

Share this article:
Subscribe
Notify of
guest
90 Comments
Most Voted
Newest Oldest
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
Marie Langley
Marie Langley
1 year ago

It’s plain and simple, whoever has the most money wins!!!!! Clearly the Demoncrats have more money than the Republicans and they’re supposed to be for the “working class”. Yeah, right!!!!!

GTPATRIOT
GTPATRIOT
1 year ago

Why does AMAC continue to try to sell us the distortion that the Repubs had a
“good night” a week ago ? Hey, we are awake here ( not woke, thankfully). The
Repubs allowed 4 Aces to lose to a deuce.

Richard
Richard
1 year ago

My heart goes out to the good people of Pennsylvania. Fedderman? Really? This makes no sense whatsoever. I smell Soros again.

Sid
Sid
1 year ago

Too little too late. The democrats cheated again because they got away with it in 2020. And with McCarthy

Chester Bliven
Chester Bliven
1 year ago

Trump hating rhinos should never be the speaker of the House we need another honest person to be speaker of the House how about Donald Trump. And as far as I know Kevin McCarthy said there was no hanky panky in 2020 election check his voting record he’s voted along with the Democrats many times. I nominate Jim Jordan for speaker of the House .

Kevin
Kevin
1 year ago

The House

James H
James H
1 year ago

Notice that those who unapologetically proclaimed conservative values–values that are best for our cities, states and country won in many instances. We need leaders who “say what they mean and mean what they say”. Many Republicans were compromised. They are not impassioned about what they proclaim. They are simply in politics to enrich and empower themselves.

JimG
JimG
1 year ago

Perhaps the Republican party will some day realize that voters actually expect to have candidates with character not character candidates.

SteveJ
SteveJ
1 year ago

The republic had a good run 244 years. Goodbye old girl missing you already.

Russ
Russ
1 year ago

Republicans didn’t swing the vote 7% their way. Biden/Pelosi swung it 7% away from democrats. If republican leadership(McConnell, McDaniel and McCarthy) did even a half-assed job the red wave would have occurred. They made terrible decisions. New leadership is a must if republicans hope to have any future.

Beverly
Beverly
1 year ago

I think the American voters should be held accountable also. They don’t listen to different sides then do research for accuracy. But are quick to whine and not be accountable for their choices.

Russ
Russ
1 year ago

I think the takeaway is DeSantis forming a election fraud investigation unit and then Florida being a red wave. Cheaters are afraid of being held accountable for their crimes. They don’t have to worry in democrat/Soros controlled states but in Florida and maybe Texas they better worry.

Phil M
Phil M
1 year ago

What is this crap about a silver lining?!? WHATEVER the reasons, we lost. You sound like Charlie Brown standing out on the pitcher’s mound in the rain saying “Wait until next year!” Sounds like AMAC, just like the three “Mc”s and millions of voters, have lost touch with reality.

teresa Ann d'alessandro
teresa Ann d'alessandro
1 year ago

i’m betting that the dums have cheated and lied in many states, i live in pa do you think common sense people wanted fedderman – ugh!!!! what is wrong with these dopes

William G
William G
1 year ago

In Washington state, they use mail-in ballots and Dominion voting machines.In addition, the mail-in ballots have bar codes with either D or R.So which are the ballots to get counted??

Dave Campbell
Dave Campbell
1 year ago

Sorry, but silver linnings won’t cut it. We are on the edge of going over the socialist cliff, and when that happens there is no recovering. The leftists in control of the Democrat party need to be (politically) crushed.

Steven Tapper
Steven Tapper
1 year ago

We must mandate Photo Voter ID to participate in any Federal Election. Any political party who objects to this should have their candidates from running for Federal Elective Office. Everyone will have to provide a Photo ID in order to register to vote to even qualify for Mail In Balloting. In this day and age you need a Photo ID for everything and that should include voting. Non citizens are not eligible to vote in US elections as per our Constitution.

Chris
Chris
1 year ago

“The Silver Linings from Last Tuesday That Conservatives Shouldn’t Ignore” GOP is in need of new leadership, Mitch McConnell, Kevin McCarthy and the rest of the GOP swamp needs to go

Michael Venaccio
Michael Venaccio
1 year ago

Happy Monday Everyone…
Not to be a Davie Downer, BUT, if find absolutely NO silver lining in another election that was apparently rife with fraud, irregularities and downright theft. Why, for example, was the Lockdown Queen not defeated in Michigan?? Could it be those mysteries deliveries of bulk votes in Detroit after the polls closed??
What about PA, AZ, NV and others? it is obvious that ballots are being manufactured, so that the Ds will have just enough votes to win. I will not believe any of these results UNTIL a complete forensic audit-not just a recount-of all the ballots and the machines take place. It is really dumb for the state to not be allowed to take a look at the programming codes for the voting machines, yet some states agreed to contracts that limit their ability to verify the machine programming.
As a veteran, I know I did not serve so that unprincipled people, aided and abetted by others can steal and manipulate elections. Too many people have died to protect the right to vote.
So, unless people in the effected states band together and demand that state legislatures overhaul voting laws, the steals will continue. I will not mention how disappointed I am in all the institutions that were supposed to protect We the People from what is going on. Like the courts, the Supreme Court, the RNC, the Rs etc. all have a complicity in not challenging what is going on.

Mario Capparuccini
Mario Capparuccini
1 year ago

There is no reason that we should not have voter ID laws, in person voting, and absentee ballots only for legitimate reasons like serving abroad in the armed forces or being home bound because of illness. There is no place for mail in ballots. Until we have rigid election integrity, we will not have confidence in our elections.

Laura
Laura
1 year ago

Even though we didn’t get the Red Wave we were hoping for, I think we’re on the right track. It may take some time, but we still have a shot.

Viet Viet 6769
Viet Viet 6769
1 year ago

This truly a silver line in this election, Though it was up to each state to do their share of control of fiscal responsibility. Hopefully we can continue our control of the House.

Kay
Kay
1 year ago

If the United States is the greatest and best it is time to do something with voting which should be a special event. It is a mockery. They are still counting ballot and some were mailed after the close of the polls. I question if the election was honest knowing the socialist democrats but it is also time for the republicans to stop patting themselves on the back saying how great certain races won were a new. The whole system need revised and every vote counted and tallied within 2 days.

james michalicek
james michalicek
1 year ago

They cheated. You are either too stupid and/or too lazy or dishonest to catch them.

Deb Rockwell
Deb Rockwell
1 year ago

Meanwhile, multiple states are still counting ballots a week later, even though 47 other states had no problem having results within a day. Nothing to see here, I suppose.

Philip Hammersley
Philip Hammersley
1 year ago

So-called Republican McConnell pulled funds from Masters and defunded Bolduc and also gave $$$ to faker Murkowski! Then Willard Romney helped the DIMM vs. Lee. Fortunately, THAT didn’t work!

El Ey
El Ey
1 year ago

Please explain to me why our Republican leaders don’t fight as much as democrats do even though It’s so obvious that democrats are on the wrong? The only real Fighter we have has been President Donald Trump but it’s only him against the world (well not 100 percent but about 95 percent). I know Trump’s bedside manners are not the best but his policies are all spot on. Trump is always with the middle class and the poor, and it’s always America first. Biden has been the WORST president ever (Carter has passed that baton to Biden) but Biden’s awful actions and cringey/creepy and embarrassing gaffes are always swept under the rug. When Biden was asked by one of the WH reporters if he’s worried about his son’s crimes, Biden responded “Good luck with that”. Such arrogance. If ever President Trump said something like that, the impeachment committee would have already started another impeachment. God help us.

Barrett Smith
Barrett Smith
1 year ago

It is hard to find a silver lining in the fact that our election system is so comprimised now.

Mike Btown
Mike Btown
1 year ago

You guys need to start talking about the fraud in the 22 elections

John Dana Longo
John Dana Longo
1 year ago

As long as the GOP has McConnell, McCarthy & Graham – we’ll stay home.

Linda Baker
Linda Baker
1 year ago

I thought Walker was in runoff (in Georgia) so why are you saying the Democrats won the Senate?

Gloria
Gloria
1 year ago

Keep traitor to the party McCarthy away from the House. Same for McConnell. He is so arrogant, he thinks he’ll just walk back in. Neither are needed for the House any more!! They have shown loud and clear they cannot be trusted to work for the constituents. They want to simply make this their career in which they make a lot of money, while thinking nothing of the citizens they are screwing.

John D. Beach
John D. Beach
1 year ago

How does “woefully underperforming expectations” relate to representative “democracy?” When Republicans and conservatives are not part of the democracy, you have Democrat Majority rule.
How is that working out for you?

Melinda
Melinda
1 year ago

I believe we need younger (but experienced) people in leadership positions. But candidates also need to put forth their positions and ideas, not just bad mouth the opposition. The whole campaign situation is complicated and varies among states. No one thing or person is at fault.

J. Farley
J. Farley
1 year ago

The Republicans, will again come up short in 2024 without a change in leadership at the Republican headquarters the RNC, Ronna Mcdaniels, must go, and the U.S. House and Senate will be better served if they replace Rep. Kavin McCarthy and Senator Bitch McConnell, if these 3 stay in power we will surely take a bath in 2024 if we chose to reward incompetence, if they are reappointed, I just may register as an independent at least I won’t be hit up for money I don’t have.

Bob Drob
Bob Drob
1 year ago

No one is saying anything about John James. He is a Navy Veteran, Black, and a conservative Christan, He is my new Representative, But no one is talking about him.

anna hubert
anna hubert
1 year ago

As long as Mafia is in control of DC nothing will change Those democratic winners are about as victorious as all those males competing in women sports Not a very pleasing picture

Gail C
Gail C
1 year ago

Thank God I live in the United State of Florida!! Enough said!

Rhoda
Rhoda
1 year ago

Wish you didn’t use a photo of Kevin McCarthy … perhaps Ron Johnson would have been better. McCarthy and McConnell both need to be out of leadership positions. We need new blood, not the “go along to get along” types, i.e., career politicians. And we need to call the results what they were: more cheating, whether it’s machines or the people counting ballots. We need to get back to “election day” not “election month.” France abandoned using machines and only use paper ballots, AND they announce the winners election night. What a concept.

ezed2109
ezed2109
1 year ago

There are opportunities for a lot of lessons to be learned here – hopefully Republicans are listening and thinking this through!
> Clearly the way the RNC spent campaign funds and provided support needs to be fixed (Mitch has to go). $9 million to Alaska for 2 Republicans running against each other?
> The Democrats having loosing policies that can be tied directly to horrible results ie. crime, border, school performance… Republicans did poor on providing alternate solutions
> An in-depth look at the approach on messaging; Republicans suck. Why does secure border translate into anti-Immigrant? Definition of Immigrant is somebody who came here LEGALLY to permanently live and work in the U.S. – Welcome! The Left plays on emotions and culture.
> Republicans still weak in their platform on some issues, for example Environment. I do not mean Green Deal stuff… but how about littering, clean water, superfund sites. What are you doing about spending and National Debt? College debt is an issue but bailouts of loans is totally wrong!
> Finally the media. A lot of focus on the national spin but what about local TV news, newspapers, etc. Republicans need to call it out with facts!
Wake up Red!

sdgorton
sdgorton
1 year ago

You all are so gullible, the demoncrats, elitists, tech lords, & China have already taken over our elections. Wake up look at the results, the demoncrats will keep control pf the senate and before its all done with the cheating, changing votes , & buying off the election tabulators, the demoncrats will probably keep control of the house. The evil filthy bottom feeding Marxist liberals have control & will never relinquish again!!!!!
There is no silver lining, the demoncrats let the republicans win where they wanted, so it didn’t look like the cheating was obvious

Rik
Rik
1 year ago

Stop trying to make filet mignon out of chopped liver! . . . The Republicans were woefully outperformed other than Governor Ron DeSantis and Senator Marco Rubio! . . . I fear for OUR Republic! If you can’t destroy nevermind beat the record of the WORST President in American History, why should We the People EVER TRUST the Republican Party Leadership EVER AGAIN?

mark
mark
1 year ago

FACE IT AMERICA ,,,Biden and the progressive socialist democrats were able to buy the votes needed with empty promises of == its free == and the liberally dumbed down nation fell for it again as they have for years ,,, the next 2 years will be HELL in our great nation ,,while they push socialist Dictatorship ,, I sure hope if you voted democrat you can OWN what you have done to all of us

William C Smith
William C Smith
1 year ago

A “…definitive rebuke…?” That’s like saying a one-vote majority in either house or senate creates a “mandate.” The editors of publications who permit these terminology abuses shold be terminated.

Rikaz
Rikaz
1 year ago

Although the results were a bit of a disappointment, I feel like it shows that we have more work to do! What we really need is for eyes to be opened to the truth of what the devil is trying to accomplish in our country and world. We don’t need the violence that would surely come with a ‘huge red wave’, we need for them to see the lies they have been told and to want the changes themselves. Praying that many will come to know or renew their faith in Jesus Christ throughout these difficult times.

legally present
legally present
1 year ago

Michigan passed the no questions for an absentee ballot, so the large cities again squashed the out areas. The largest number of votes came from the same counties with the highest number of covid deaths, because Big Gretchen put the covid patients in the nursing homes. Guess they didn’t care that members of their family were virtually killed by her decisions. Now we are stuck with Michigan doing whatever they want. I’m ready to leave this stupid state.

Bill Gorto
Bill Gorto
1 year ago

I enjoy reading AMAC news. It’s usually right on

Greg Saunders
Greg Saunders
1 year ago

“Early voting” did us in. We have to stop complaining and, unfortunately, going forward, be as scheming and ruthless as the Democrats, if that what it takes to save this country.

Joe Rea
Joe Rea
1 year ago

I disagree. This was a lost opportunity that will not come back.

Tom
Tom
1 year ago

With the high popular vote for Republicans the results smell fishy.

An older blonde women laughing in the kitchen with a grey haired man.
AMAC’s Medicare Advisory Service
The knowledge, guidance, and choices of coverage you’re looking for. The exceptional service you deserve.
The AMAC App on 3 different iPhone
Download the AMAC App
The AMAC App is the place to go for insightful news wherever you are and whenever you want.
jen Psaki speaking, news
disney sign; woke corporations
Dr. Gorka and Biden
electric vehicles; EV emissions

Stay informed! Subscribe to our Daily Newsletter.

"*" indicates required fields

90
0
Would love your thoughts, please comment.x
()
x

Subscribe to AMAC Daily News and Games