There is no sugar-coating it for Republicans and conservatives: Tuesday night was a disastrous result. Although some close races remain to be called, Democrats have regained control of both the House and the Senate, winning in many areas President Donald Trump carried easily just two years ago.

But while the inevitable finger-pointing has already begun, truthfully, the blame falls across the entire party and movement. In a midterm year defined by concerns about the country’s ever-rising cost of living, GOP candidates mostly failed to put forward a compelling case for how they planned to help people battered by inflation. In the end, it cost them the election.

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