Reporter's Notebook: House control could hinge on whether the old political rules still apply
Are we playing with the old playbook or a new playbook in the midterm elections this fall?That’s unclear. It’s hard to determine simply because we’ve seen so much that’s "new"...
By Fox News · Fox News
Are we playing with the old playbook or a new playbook in the midterm elections this fall? That’s unclear. It’s hard to determine simply because we’ve seen so much that’s "new" in politics lately. Norms are cast aside. The American system quaked to its core in recent years. You’ve witnessed an American president win the election by prevailing in the Electoral College but losing the popular vote. To have that happen twice in 16 years (2000 and 2016) is astonishing, considering the fact that such an outcome only unfolded on three occasions before. You then had a president impeached twice yet return to office a few years later. There was the Capitol riot as arguing continued about the 2020 election. FOX NEWS POLL: VOTERS WANT MAJOR CHANGE AMID ECONOMIC AND POLITICAL DISCONTENT If this is the old playbook, Democrats likely light up the scoreboard in November. The party of the president typically loses about 25 seats in a president’s first midterm. Midterm elections are frequently a referendum on the president. That’s why many Republicans are trying to keep President Donald Trump at arm’s length, considering that his polling numbers are anywhere from the mid-30s to 40% on a good day. Gas prices are high. Grocery prices are skyrocketing. The war in Iran lingers. There’s a trade war with one of America’s best allies. On the old playbook, this portends a disaster for the GOP in this fall’s midterms. But what if we’re using the new playbook? President Trump — and sometimes Republicans aligned with him — have shown a remarkable resilience to defy political gravity and norms. Control of the House could come down to just a few seats. What if there are questions about election security and the validity of who won and lost? There’s redistricting. On paper, Republicans probably redrew about five to six seats nationwide in their favor. If things are tight, we might not know which party wins the House on election night. Perhaps a few days down the road — if not later. That is, unle…