The 2014 midterms were an illusion for the Republican Party. Two factors allowed the GOP to gain control of the Senate: one was a low voter turnout by Democrats; and the other was an ‘anti-Obama’ knee jerk reaction by conservatives and some Independents.

Now that Trump is the presumptive Republican nominee for the presidency, he is the party’s leader. It appears that Republican voters have no respect for the extreme conservative movement led by Ted Cruz and his TEA Party obstructionists.

Voters must assume that Trump represents the principles, or lack of, possessed by all Republican politicians. This may prove destructive for the Republican Party’s hopes to retain a majority in the Senate. It has become highly possible that the Presidency and the Senate will by controlled by Democrats. Bye, bye Mitch McConnell; we won’t miss your ‘do-nothing’ work ethic.

Chuck Schumer is running for reelection as one of the senators from New York. One Trump supporters sees the senate race differently. Although Wendy Long lost to Kirsten Gillibrand by 40 points four years ago, and Schumer has won his last two elections by 30 points, the ambitious Ms. Long is running one more time.

About Trump: “I think he’s bringing in new people and a lot of excitement and I think it would be good for the whole party,” Long said in an interview with RealClearPolitics. “This year I think people see the prospect of kicking over the tables in Washington and taking their government back.” Really?

I don’t see it that way. States which traditionally vote for Democrats will return to the voting booths after the disaster in 2014. Most GOP hopefuls don’t see it that way either. They are fearing for the loss of their cushy, ‘do-nothing,’ and privileged employment.

Chris Vance is running against Democratic incumbent Patty Murray. Murray won her last election in Washington State by just five points. He was not officially a member of the Republican Party’s “never Trump” campaign, but he is skeptical about a Trump Presidency.

“Domestically, his anti-trade agenda is bad for America; it’s devastating for the state of Washington,” Vance said. “When I hear Mr. Trump or anyone talk about protecting American manufacturing jobs, I want to scream at the television, ‘Do you know who the largest manufacturer in the United States is? The Boeing company, here in Seattle.’”

Mr. Vance doesn’t get it; Trump supporters are against free trade agreements which have moved tens of thousands of our better paying jobs onto foreign shores. In Indiana, Trump received enthusiastic ovations when he criticized the air conditioning giant ‘Carrier’ for moving 2,100 jobs from Indiana to Mexico.

2016 is shaping up to be a disastrous year for the GOP. It has failed to defeat Trump for the last nine months, and is now forced to recognize him as their standard bearer. If the White House remains in Democratic possession for a third term, and the Senate returns to Democratic control, a change in Washington is imminent.

In addition, Hillary Clinton or Bernie Sanders will appoint a far more liberal Supreme Court Justice than Merrick Garland; moving the Court to the left.

Good-bye Citizens United; and good riddance.

Op-Ed

By James Turnage

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