If you want to be powerful, it’s best not to hitch yourself to a falling star. Watching the various factions and forces squabbling for power and acting accordingly is crucial for your success. Unfortunately, this time around, it wasn’t so easy. Certain individuals were big winners and losers, but the faction war was a stalemate. Except in one instance, neither side produced a major, decisive victory, as all dug in for the real battle to come in 2020.
Winners
The Democratic Party
The midterms weren’t quite the “blue wave” that had been hyped up so much. However, the Democratic Party stopped the bleeding they had been suffering all throughout this decade and fulfilled expectations by taking back control of the House of Representatives.
Now with real power behind them, we can expect the “social justice” freaks to get renewed vigor. The House victory in November was confirmation for them that their bad behavior could be rewarded. Therefore, expect to see more of it.
On the other hand, one particular part of their bad behavior was not rewarded…
Brett Kavanaugh
In the most decisive battle of the year, the left lost. Brett Kavanaugh overcame all of the fake allegations, the fake news hit pieces, and the hysterical, shrieking mob to be confirmed to the Supreme Court, where he will sit for decades to come.
Of equal importance was the various rightist factions coalescing into a united phalanx that threw the hysterical assault back. It proved once and for all that the left could be humiliated if only everyone opposing the crybullies coalesced and actually fought back.
If it wasn’t for this Battle of Kavanaugh, the Republican losses in the House would likely have been a lot worse. While the Democrats may have been the victors a month later, if you’re looking for power, never underestimate the capacity of the left to make itself look terrible.
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez
Speaking of underestimating things, don’t underestimate her. Calling her an idiot and talking about all the things she’s factually wrong about is the exact same mistake the left made and continues to make with Trump. The important thing is that Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has a knack for grabbing your attention and directing it to where she wants it – toward the benefits of “free college” and “free healthcare.”
She doesn’t sell features. Talking about how you’ll go about fixing healthcare is a feature. She doesn’t bother with that nonsense. If you’re a detractor of hers, you probably do, which makes her supporters support her more.
She’s also aware of how to use images and modern communication methods. Where Elizabeth Warren and Kamala Harris feel like inauthentic goofs desperately trying to be young, she doesn’t.
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is a star. Fail to see it at your own peril. You’ll be burned.
Dan Crenshaw
Fortunately, Republicans had their own rising star. Dan Crenshaw first defied expectations by beating entrenched donors in his primary. Then he became a nationally known war hero through Saturday Night Live’s blunder. It made him the victim and he got to display his low-key style of charisma to cement his brand in the month of November.
The result is that the Republicans now have a young, nationally known war hero with the scars to prove it, and one who is charismatic in his own right and understands modern communication methods, which contributed to his primary victory in Texas.
He’s a rising star to watch.
Losers
Feminists
We all wondered when the power of the feminists would peak. In 2018, it did. They took every arrow in their quiver and shot it at Brett Kavanaugh. Their most potent weapon – the mass allegation, failed. Their attempts at denial of due process and the presumption of innocence finally caught everyone’s attention. “Me Too” hysteria fell flat on its face.
Feminists didn’t go quietly into the night, but this defeat proved the limits of their power. 2018 was the high water mark for them. Crybullying can only work for so long.
Elizabeth Warren
Watching her try to share her home life is comical. She has a goofy form of charisma that works for some people but she demolished her brand this year with the compulsive need to prove herself a victim by virtue of her Native American blood…all 1/1,204th of it. Donald Trump would tear her to shreds in a presidential contest.
Cory Booker
The same goes for Cory Booker, or should I say Spartacus?
Timing is everything, and for a while, Booker looked like a rising star in the Democratic Party, but he peaked too early. He became increasingly desperate this year until his infamous “I am Spartacus” moment. He’ll no doubt announce his candidacy, but he won’t be the nominee.
And that’s really about it this year. All the major players, including Trump, stalemated this year.
Read Stumped to predict the future. Ocasio-Cortez and Crenshaw embody many of its strategies.
