(Washington Observer) America 2022: The "Donkey-Elephant Controversy" in the Midterm Elections

　　China News Agency, Washington, December 19th, title: America 2022: The "Donkey and Elephant Controversy" in the Midterm Elections

　　China News Agency reporter Sha Hanting

　　With the results of the Georgia runoff election in early December, the seats for both houses of Congress in the 2022 U.S. midterm elections have finally been released, and the results of the "donkey-elephant battle" in the election year have also been settled.

On November 8 local time, the midterm elections in the United States were held, and polling stations in all 50 states of the United States and Washington, DC opened one after another.

The picture shows a polling station in Arlington, Virginia.

Photo by China News Agency reporter Sha Hanting

　　In this year's midterm elections, the Democrats and Republicans won control of the Senate and the House of Representatives, and the Biden administration will face a "split Congress" in the next two years.

Among them, in the Senate, there are 51 Democrats and 49 Republicans; in the House of Representatives, there are 222 Republicans and 213 Democrats.

　　Although the result of the two parties controlling the Senate and the House of Representatives cannot be regarded as an "accident", the US media generally believe that in this midterm election, the "red wave" expected by the Republicans did not appear.

In the context of historical laws, high inflation, and low support for President Biden, the result of the Democratic Party retaining the Senate and "small loss" in the House of Representatives is a "surprise surprise" for the Democrats.

On November 8 local time, the midterm elections in the United States were held, and polling stations in all 50 states of the United States and Washington, DC opened one after another.

The picture shows a polling station in Arlington, Virginia, where people are filling out ballots.

Photo by China News Agency reporter Sha Hanting

　　According to statistics from the Brookings Institution, an American think tank, in terms of the number of seats gained or lost in both chambers, this mid-term election is the best mid-term election for the ruling party in the first term of a president since 1988.

　　Despite this, Biden, who is facing "split Congress", will face constraints in his administration in the next two years. It will be more difficult to pass major legislation in Congress. Policy space will also be limited.

It is worth mentioning that on several issues that the public cares most about, the positions of the two parties are almost opposite.

The analysis believes that the political confrontation between the two parties actually reflects the polarization of American society and the "split" of public opinion.

On June 23, local time, the Select Committee of the US House of Representatives held the fifth hearing on the investigation of the riots on Capitol Hill.

The picture shows a live video of Trump's speech.

Photo by China News Agency reporter Sha Hanting

　　In the various polls before and after the midterm elections, inflation is the issue that voters are most concerned about, followed by the protection of the electoral system and abortion rights.

The Associated Press believes that although the economy and inflation are the most important factors affecting popular votes, its survey also shows that nearly half of voters realize that there are many reasons for inflation, and the rise in prices cannot be completely attributed to the Biden administration.

　　In addition, the survey also showed that the Federal Supreme Court's ruling in June this year to abolish the Roe v. Wade case and no longer protect women's abortion rights also prompted some voters to fall to the Democratic Party.

70% of voters believe that abortion rights are an important factor affecting their votes in the midterm elections.

　　In fact, the bipartisan struggle runs through the entire 2022 midterm election year.

　　Since June this year, the Democratic Party has held nine hearings on the riots on Capitol Hill that occurred on January 6, 2021. Through many witness statements and video broadcasts, the incident that occurred nearly two years ago has been brought back to the public. At the same time, it also made the public pay attention to the role played by former President Trump in it.

　　On the Democratic side, while the hearing was going on, candidates from Biden to all began to "bet" on protecting the electoral system in their speeches.

It turns out that the Democrats' "protracted" agenda setting worked.

Various polls show that the degree of protection of the election has become the second most concerned issue for voters after inflation on the eve of the election, and the riots on Capitol Hill have also aroused the "anti-Trump sentiment" of many intermediate voters, thus voting for the Democrats .

　　On the Republican side, since the beginning of this year, high inflation, rising oil prices, and soaring borrowing costs caused by the Fed's interest rate hikes seem to be sufficient evidence of the poor performance of the Biden administration.

For the Democrats-led epidemic relief bill, health care and climate bills, Republicans have also linked them to "increasing inflation."

But in the end, the "red wave" that the Republicans expected only showed "red waves".

　　Some Republican analysts believe that Trump, who is a high-profile campaigner, needs to bear some responsibility for the lower-than-expected performance of the Republican Party.

Political novices supported by Trump lost several key battles, while veteran Republican politicians who kept Trump at a certain distance achieved better results.

The data show that in the 40 races considered key seats, candidates supported by Trump won only 40% of the time.

　　After the mid-term elections, it was reported that the Republican Party was discussing adjustments to campaign strategies, including weighing the cost of abandoning Trump.

The Marit survey shows that 54% of Republicans believe that the Republican Party should introduce new people to participate in the general election.

　　Regardless, Trump has officially announced his candidacy for the presidency.

Biden has also expressed interest in running.

The clarion call for the 2024 presidential election has already sounded, and a new round of "donkey-elephant battle" has begun.

(Finish)