GOP Seen as Establishment 'Uniparty' Led to Midterm Losses

For Republicans, it was all there for the taking.

The first two years of the Biden administration could not have gone more poorly.

"Bidenflation" became a commonly used term in the American political lexicon as voters took a shellacking; this as a result of supply chain issues and uncertainty related to energy, among other factors.

The self-inflicted border crisis, which was created when President Biden stopped the construction of the border wall, suspended enrollments in the Migrant Protection Protocols (MPP, aka "Remain in Mexico"), and terminated asylum cooperative agreements (ACAs) with Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador, in addition to other bad policy, has created a nightmare for border states like Arizona and Texas, while contributing to an opioid crisis which saw nearly 100,000 Americans dying from a drug overdose in 2021 alone.

Biden's foreign policy hasn’t been much better, as U.S.-sponsored warfare continues to rage in Ukraine against Russia.

Russia notably being a benefactor of Biden’s early "America last" energy policy, as "U.S. imports of oil and refined products, or about 672,000 barrels a day, came from Russia" in 2021, according to The Wall Street Journal.

So, when the 2022 midterm elections arrived, it seemed logical to assume that the GOP was going to see massive gains in both chambers of Congress.

That, unfortunately, was not to be, and the Democrats once again performed better in several key races with superior strategy and relentless aggression.

Sure, we can argue that the GOP is working against a stacked-deck in terms of mainstream media coverage, as most of the media continues to engage in dance-around reporting regarding Hunter Biden’s business dealings, and the social media suppression that in part enabled Joe Biden to take the White House in 2020.

However, those aren’t the only factors contributing to a lackluster performance of the Republicans in 2022.

This summer, there were several critical issues hampering the midterm efforts.

Key amongst them was the Democratically-controlled U.S. House of Representatives’ series of Jan. 6 spectacles; framing the recent midterms as a "fight to save democracy."

The way this was allowed to play out in front of an engaged national audience who watched portions of the hearings on primetime TV should serve as an indictment against the leadership of House Minority Leader Rep. Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif.

Rep. McCarthy put up little resistance against his counterpart, House Speaker Rep. Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., after his initial suggestions for the committee were rejected, and mostly sat back and watched as the seven-Democratic and two Republican House Select Committee trotted out witnesses like Cassidy Hutchinson, who largely relied on hearsay during the hearings.

McCarthy has even been identified as a GOP-liability by the liberal media, who have called out his failings.

In the aftermath of the lackluster 2022 midterms for the GOP, changes must be made to show Republican voters and donors that they have identified the very many problems that existed last month, and that they are committed to making the important changes that will drive the "Grand Old Party" to victory in 2024.

This writer agrees with former House Speaker Newt Gingrich that the GOP must embrace mail-in voting. Although many Republicans may still operate under the antiquated idea that votes should all be cast on Election Day and in-person, a whopping 35% of ballots cast last month were mailed-in.

That beat the previous mid-term record by 10%.

Additionally, there are legal methods of assisting in the collection and casting of ballots for those who may require assistance.

Although ballot-harvesting is largely seen as a dirty word in GOP circles, it's legal to engage in the process in many states, and the GOP has fallen far behind the Democrats in execution of this strategy.

Second, the GOP Representatives in the House must send a message to voters and donors that a new day has arrived, and with it, new leadership for the party.

That being said, McCarthy should not be seen as the only choice for House speaker at this point.

An official challenge has is now emergent in the form of Rep. Andy Biggs, R-Ariz. 

Biggs, who boasts a Heritage Action Scorecard lifetime score of 96% to McCarthy’s 59%, knows all too well the issues that border states are facing during under Biden administration.

Increasing the size of Biggs’ megaphone in the lower chamber will push the administration harder to take the action necessary to protect America on several fronts.

Biggs is also a member of the House Freedom Caucus and is one of five members of the group said to be voting against McCarthy when the official vote for House speaker takes place on Jan. 3 of next year. Biggs wrote in a recent Op-ed in the Daily Caller that, "We will never defeat or change the status quo, which is taking us to the Leftist’s vision of America, by selecting a status quo candidate as the third most powerful person in the government."

The perception that D.C., and by extension the United States, is run by an establishment "uni-party" has increasingly hampered Republican efforts in national elections the last two times out.

One clear signal to voters that could help change that perception would be to reject the status quo and shake up the GOP as the focus shifts to restoring American exceptionalism in 2024.

House Republicans can send that message to voters on Jan. 3.

Julio Rivera is a small business consultant, political activist, writer, and editorial director. He has been a regular contributor to Newsmax since 2016, on both its web pages and television network. His commentary has also appeared in The Hill, The Washington Times, The Washington Examiner, American Thinker, The Toronto Sun, and more. Read Julio Rivera's Reports — More Here.