In the unseasonably warm afternoon sun in Pittsburgh, a crowd had gathered to hear their hero Barack Obama. The Democratic Party is in trouble, maybe big trouble, in Tuesday’s midterm elections. They will lose both the Senate and the House of Representatives in Washington DC and may see Republican governors gain power in many states. The implications for Democrats’ domestic policies on the economy, health care, abortion rights, immigration and climate will be profound. American foreign policy would also shift more inward. And so orator Obama, with a flare that President Joe Biden lacks, was ready to build a weak base of the Democratic Party. It centered on the now-familiar warnings about the threat to democracy that Democrats say is election-denying Trump Republicans. Dangerous parts He warned of divisions fueling a “dangerous climate,” citing the hammer attack on House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s husband. As is so often the case in American electoral circles, Pennsylvania is key for both parties. It could tip the balance in a pivotal U.S. Senate midterm race between Democrat John Fetterman and Republican Mehmet Oz. “This habit we have of demonizing political opponents, of saying crazy things. It creates a dangerous climate,” Mr. Obama said. “You have politicians who are not working to unite people but to incite division and make us angry and afraid of each other just for their own benefit so they can get power.” In the crowd, there was a clear recognition of the importance of this interim takeover of the country’s direction. “This midterm is the most important midterm I think we’ve ever had in my lifetime for sure,” voter Alex told me. Another said: “It’s nice to hear a sensible speech. Measured and balanced and saying the right things and what people need to hear and what this country needs to hear is refreshing.” Leeanna McKibben said, “I think it’s critical that we exercise our right to vote and eliminate the disrespect that’s going on. We can have bipartisan politics, but it has to be respectful and civil. And that’s not happening now.” The key state of Pennsylvania While Nevada and Georgia are both key Senate races, much of the focus is on Pennsylvania because of its history of swinging from the left to the right. In the 2016 presidential election, he lost to Donald Trump, handing him the White House. Four years later, it fell back to Biden and the Democrats. No wonder so much campaign money has flowed into campaigns here, and no wonder all the big hitters cross the state. A key problem for the Democrats is Mr. Biden. His approval rating is just 40% according to the most recent poll. It’s another reason Obama is out — a reminder that Democrats have more than Mr. Biden. Trump’s red wave? Fifty miles down the road at an airport, another former president was also out — Mr. Trump, a man who hasn’t stopped campaigning since losing the election two years ago. “The election was rigged and stolen and we are not going to let it happen again,” he told a huge crowd of his most loyal. There is absolutely no evidence of his allegation of electoral fraud. Audits, counts and court cases across America have confirmed Biden as the winner in 2020, yet Trump has managed to sow doubt in the fabric of society. Image: Photo: AP The false claim remains his key message for a 2024 presidential campaign that everyone expects him to announce any day now. “I love Trump!” promoter Lori Randall told me. “The best president ever.” “Trump is my guy because he’s honest, he doesn’t sugarcoat anything, he doesn’t tolerate anything and he puts America first,” Aaron Hoffman said. Another said: “I’m here to see Donald Trump because I think he should be our president and Joe Biden is destroying America.” The vibe, the energy, the brand — it’s all here for the man who seems to be in near-total control of today’s Republican Party. For all that the Democratic Party and a minority of anti-Trump Republicans have done to try to discredit him, to expose him as a liar and a fraud, to try to make sure he’s a historian, it really doesn’t seem like the past at all. He hopes this week’s midterm elections will provide a “red wave” that will confirm his appeal extends beyond that core and that the statewide rejectionist candidates he has endorsed will win. . Remember – if they win, many of them will be responsible for judging the validity of the 2024 presidential election. Use Chrome browser for more accessible video player 1:02 How do midterm elections work? The lonely sidekick As Mr Trump spoke a lone voice could be heard from the crowd. “He’s a liar,” she screamed. Her fight and the reaction around her was a clear look at the deep angry divisions, up close. “Lock her up! Lock her up!” the crowd chanted, borrowing a chant they used for Trump’s 2016 opponent Hillary Clinton. “Go home. Go to your rally and brag about your Obama and brag about inflation,” a man yelled in her face. With considerable force and her hands locked in a hold behind her, she was then led away by the police. Beyond the perimeter they released her and we chatted for a while. “We know very well that the election was not stolen. It was fair, it was safe, it was safe…” he said before the police returned and continued the eviction. She never told us her name, but she spoke of many millions in the other America. It is hard to see how these two completely different visions of this supposed United States can be reconciled.
