Being hopeful is important for both sides of the political coin.  As a late comer to the Rush Limbaugh listenership, I appreciated his reminder to be a happy warrior.  This was especially helpful to hear during the first two Trump impeachment attempts.  I know the January 6th “commission” isn’t technically another impeachment, but a rose by any other name and all.  But when I read Amanda Marcotte’s latest piece for Salon, I truly had to wonder what pipe she had been smoking.  As she implored the Democrats not to despair for the 2022 midterms, I had various PJ Media figures whisper collectively in my head: “Don’t get cocky!”

Let’s take her six points one by one and I welcome all commenters to add thoughts that I have missed.

1. GOP’s gerrymandering-pocalypse is a dud 

According to a Washington Post opinion piece published just before Christmas, 

The most informed redistricting experts now say it appears that this process will look more like a wash, or even that Democrats might gain a few seats.

ummm, I don’t think ANYONE other than Dave Wasserman of the Cook Political Report or Joel Wertheimer from Data for Progress believes this.  It’s like Jen Psaki’s attempts to tell everyone a few months ago that inflation was transitory.  As Wasserman himself tweeted, there are TWENTY-FOUR House Dems who are opting out of 2022 brawl.  

#IL01 Rep. Bobby Rush (D), the only person to ever beat Barack Obama in an election, reportedly becoming the 24th House Dem to forgo reelection in 2022. https://t.co/RB21vnpLZV

— Dave Wasserman (@Redistrict) January 3, 2022

Politicians are not normal people.  They thrive on the power trip.  They don’t pass on re-election if they think they are going to win.  Granted, some of these house seats are in safe districts, but I’m hopeful the DNC money is going to the far-left progressive candidates.  Going back to the WP article, Wertheimer seems to think it’s in Democrat’s favor to keep moving left:

[A]s Joel Wertheimer predicted at Data for Progress, “when redistricting is finished, more districts in 2022 will be to the left of Joe Biden’s 4.5-point national margin against Trump than in 2020.” This is about as good an outcome as Democrats could have hoped for.

All I have to say to that is “good luck with that!”

2. Democratic governors — who may be what save us in 2024 —look strong in 2022

“Many of the states that Trump wants to steal are electing governors this year. Democrats have a strong chance of winning — if they put up a fight. They have a chance to retain seats in Pennsylvania, Michigan, and Wisconsin. Stacey Abrams is taking another shot at Georgia. And there’s a chance to flip the governor’s seats in Florida and Arizona.”

Did she even watch what happened in Virginia or New Jersey?  Yes, the Jersey shore stayed in the hands of the Democrat, but it was a nail-biter to the bitter end.  And seriously, SERIOUSLY, she thinks Florida is going to flip?  Please, pass me THAT pipe.

3. The Senate map looks good for Democrats

Amanda doesn’t really offer any support for this thesis other than a coin flip of “maybe” in Pennsylvania, North Carolina, and Wisconsin.  I’ll throw this great video in for rebuttal.  The Senate map is going to be a squeaker for either party.  This goes back to some of my earlier posts.  It’s not who votes, but who counts the votes.  Become a Precinct Committeeman.

4. Republicans are putting up a vomit-inducing set of candidates this cycle

Ain’t she a peach?  Her thoughts on the matter?

“Republicans’ much-lauded 2021 win in the Virginia governor’s race came courtesy of Glenn Youngkin, a bland specimen who could convincingly fake being sane to middle-of-the-road voters. But in California, their choice of Larry Elder, a loudmouthed and misogynist radio talker, gave Democrat Gavin Newsom a much easier path to victory in their gubernatorial race. Republicans look poised to nominate more Elders and fewer Newsoms. Democrats have a real chance to take advantage.”‘

Does she really believe that the rest of the country wants more Newsom-like candidates?  We are all watching the horror show in California and hoping their invasions don’t affect our state as millions of people flee the blue states.

Americans are moving from high-tax, forced-unionism, business-unfriendly blue states like CA and NY with high housing costs to low-tax, right-to-work, economically vibrant, business-friendly red states with lower housing costs like FL and TX. https://t.co/CZqJkEzMSN

— Mark J. Perry (@Mark_J_Perry) December 30, 2021

5. The pandemic may finally dissipate

Unsurprisingly, Amanda has been given the memo and is all in with the lockstep pivot on the ‘rona madness.  While I agree wholeheartedly with her premise, it’s the military-like precision of turning on the narrative dime that bothers me.  I’ve been saying for months now that come spring The ‘Rona will magically be over.  It was the one point in the Biden quiver that was holding him above water but his continued failure on several COVID fronts have left voters frustrated.  I am hopeful that the end of the Pandemic will offer both parties some advantages.  I just don’t think democratic voters are going to forget how Biden left them hanging.

6.  The Supreme Court may awake a sleeping giant

This is the one point that I have to concede.  Maybe.  

“People are going to be very angry if the Supreme Court overturns Roe v. Wade, as it is widely expected to do. Abortion rights are popular, and so the common wisdom has been that the Supreme Court will find some way to keep restricting access without actually creating the “Roe is overturned” headlines that could lead to an electoral backlash against Republicans.”

As I have mentioned now in several posts, I have moved farther right on the abortion issue than I would have ever imagined.  I am hopeful that I am not alone.  But beyond my own personal movement on the issue, I just do not believe that the abortion question will over-ride inflation, stagnation, depression, or education.

We are entering the fray in just the next few months.  The lines will start to solidify and both parties will be putting up their best front.  I admire Amanda’s optimism, but I think she is just blowing her pipe smoke up her reader’s @$$.

Featured  Image: “LIberty is Hope 2 color” by charlesfettinger is licensed under CC BY 2.0,  modified