For months staunch supporters of the GOP had been declaring there would be a red wave during the November 2022 mid-term elections. So what happened? Well, it was not the “wave” that many predicted by any stretch. Instead, we saw a return to normalcy, to some extent. At the moment, the democrats are likely to retain control of the Senate, and the GOP is expected to regain control of the House of Representatives. Contrary to the ideologues on either side of the aisle, this is good for the Country at large.

You may ask why I think this is good, and I will do my best to explain what I mean. Aside from the fact that I despise what both major political parties have become, at least on the national stage, I believe it’s how the federal system was designed to function. More accurately, the federal system was not intended to be unilateral, hence the separation of powers. Considering the Constitution’s draft period, we had just finished fighting off what was considered a tyrannous monarchy (thanks mainly to Spain and France, who may have hated King George more than us). The original construct of governance under the Articles of Confederation was not working, which led to the conception of the Constitutional Republic that we know today (mostly).

When the Constitution was written, numerous signers fought for a separation of powers to avoid centralizing too much authority within the national government, allowing the states to remain primarily autonomous. Over the centuries, the bureaucracy has become bloated, and the states have become increasingly dependent upon federal assistance. There is a conglomeration of factors for both of these evolutionary changes, which I won’t go into now, but the basis of the original architectural plans is still in place. What has that ultimately achieved over the years? We certainly have utter dysfunction in Washington, a bicameral Congress unable to get anything done due to partisan bickering. Perfect!

Not every person in the United States will be happy all at the same time. As citizens, we should not expect the Federal government in Washington, D.C., to be responsible for solving problems in rural Oklahoma (or New Mexico). Without getting any further into the weeds on this topic, the dysfunction in Washington, from my seat, is as intended so that the States retain responsibility for solving the problems and challenges of their own folks. It’s easier, as Nancy Pelosi and Mitch McConnell prove, to hold local and state officials accountable at the ballot box than anyone in Washington, D.C. Therefore, we should be more focused on those elections and holding those officials responsible than anyone elected to federal office.

Back to the “red wave” situation that never materialized, it is my solid position that every Republican in the United States can thank Donald Trump and the Supreme Court of the United States ruling on Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization. I do not believe this Court erred in its ruling, as the previous Court overstepped in previous rulings. This ill-timed decision created an opportunity in contested elections at all levels of government for liberal-leaning candidates to make up the ground they might have lost. As with most “hot-button” issues in this Country, the conversation has been hijacked by zealots on either side, meaning we will not be able to have a rational discussion to reach an agreement. Too many voters, especially moderates, who were the only votes up for grabs last week, may be swayed by a singular topic.

I think the essential topic, or person that likely swayed voters, was Donald Trump. While I won’t say, from a policy standpoint, Donald Trump was the worst president in our history. I will say that as a representative of the people of this great nation, he was by far the worst we’ve had to endure. He’s the anti-leader and should be the poster child of what not to do and how not to act for anyone seeking to be a leader. The man took credit for every success of his administration while blaming everyone around him for every failure. A man too accustomed to getting his way based upon the prowess of his wealth alone shrunk to playground insults and social media bullying when he wasn’t getting his way. I wouldn’t say I liked the previous administration’s policies. Still, Barack Obama was a man that carried himself in such a way that he represented the peasants of the United States respectably (most of the time).

Donald Trump spent four years alienating everyone in this Country except those drinking his Kool-Aid and padding his ego. Until the GOP gets smart and distances itself, he will continue to hand Democrats seats in both Chambers and Gubenotorial mansions throughout the United States. Please pay more attention to your local and state elections and quit buying into the major parties’ propaganda designed to polarize and radicalize their bases (which has clearly been a successful strategy in both corners), and let’s keep Washington divided!