It has been a wild presidential election so far, and most readers are probably relieved that there are only eight more weeks to go.
But the happy prospect of getting to Nov. 9, must not in any way overshadow the supreme importance of voting on Nov. 8. This is a hugely important election for conservatives, not least those who do not feel represented by either of the two main parties’ candidates.
It is urgent that everyone vote, for there are many important choices to be made in addition to the one at the top of the ballot. This is equally true whether you’re in the “Never Trump” camp or, on the contrary, are delighted that he’s the Republican nominee and think his likeness will one day be chiseled into Mount Rushmore.
The House of Representatives and the Senate are both on the line. If the only conservatives who cast ballots on Election Day are those die-hards who vote in the midterms, Democrats could gain as many as 90 House seats. That won’t happen, of course, but a result even remotely like that would be a disaster.
If Hillary Clinton wins and Democrats regain control of both chambers of Congress, they will be able to start shoving the next bad idea, the next Obamacare, down everyone’s throats. Your nation will be less prosperous, and your principled reasons for staying home and refusing to vote won’t matter.
If Donald Trump wins with or without your vote, it is unlikely that the Democrats will win the Senate. But, however, it would be better to make every effort to prevent such an outcome rather than leaving it to chance. Trump is a dealmaker, and if Democrats take the Senate, his inclination will be to make deals with them. His announcement on child care policy (some of which is good) could, in such circumstances, end up being an opening bid in a process that leads to mandatory paid leave.
The logic for conservatives who are determined not to vote for Trump is, therefore, that they have even more reason to vote for down-ballot candidates who would halt bad policy in its tracks toward the statute book.
Meanwhile, if you like Trump and want him to avoid compromises by which Democrats dilute his policies, on immigration for example, the same applies.
The good news, especially this week, with the release of several new polls, is that continued Republican control of Congress seems very much on the cards. This is despite great odds and a very difficult 2016 Senate map.
The new polls suggest that the odds of Republicans keeping the Senate have increased from slim to fair. GOP incumbents are suddenly holding up better than expected in critical races in Iowa, Arizona, Missouri, Florida and Ohio in particular. And the Republican nominee in Nevada, a state where Trump is doing unusually well, holds a slim but consistent lead.
If the above results all come out in Republican senators’ favor, Democrats would need to win five out of the remaining six close contests, in Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, Pennsylvania, New Hampshire and North Carolina.
In short, a path is emerging for a Republican Congress in 2017, whoever gets to the White House. As much strife and division as this year’s crazy presidential season has created within the Republican tent, the shared goal of keeping GOP majorities on Capitol Hill is now within sight, if not yet securely within reach. It’s something that every good-faith conservative should decide to achieve on Nov. 8.
