The American republic stood on the brink of another descent into Trumpism this week. On Tuesday it stepped back to reconsider its options.
That’s the most salient fact about a midterm election that surprised all but a few brave souls who insisted that, actually, things looked kinda good for the Democratic Party. As Republican House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy has discovered, perhaps for the last time, you can flirt with Trumpism only so many times before it devours your moral innards and leaves you like carrion on the roadside.
The election results, for the House and many other offices, are a long way from final. But unlike every midterm since 2002, and most of the midterms before that, the president’s party did not suffer a blowout. And it may yet prove much better than that for Democrats. The reasons for that are uncertain. But some elements are clear.
