As surely as right-wing politicians and personalities were preemptively deploying disinformation to cast doubt on any losses in Tuesday’s midterm election, they can be counted on to overstate the implications of any victories. So it’s worth warding off the inevitable fiction about the developing congressional results with some factual context.
A Republican takeover of one or both chambers of Congress certainly has graver implications than it did in less troubled times, so it shouldn’t be taken lightly if it happens. California’s own Kevin McCarthy, who would likely become speaker of a Republican-controlled House, has fully embraced former President Donald Trump and the attempt to overturn the 2020 election. He has even excommunicated fellow Republicans who differ, presaging more such strife in 2024. Moreover, the Kern County Republican could be expected to turn over the chamber to trumped-up investigations of Biden and other Democrats while halting legislative progress on climate change, health care and more.
That said, any midterm gains for McCarthy and company should not be overinterpreted as a mandate for their un-American politics. U.S. elections remain heavily influenced by structural factors that currently favor Republicans regardless of their drift into anti-democracy.
