Did complacency kill the GOP?

By Rory Ryan
The Highland County Press

Has the Republican Party become complacent – at all levels?

With current elected majorities locally, statewide and nationally – and with a crucial midterm election just a few months away – it almost seems as if the once Grand Old Party is feeling a bit too content with how things are.

They best not be.

A few recent headlines from just one liberal D.C. paper read as follows:

• "Republicans see ‘scary’ lack of enthusiasm among core voters ahead of midterms;"

• "Energized voters could be key to Democratic victories in midterms, poll finds;"

• "Republicans stare down epic voter enthusiasm gap ahead of 2026 midterms;" and

• "Democratic turnout is up, even in Republican districts, analysis finds."

Well, there you have it. Republicans simply cannot win in November. Why even campaign?

Voters are angered by gas prices, the military action in Iran, a GOP-led U.S. Senate that cannot muster the will to end the filibuster (that rhymes) and of course, the ever-present TDS condition.

U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., recently told reporters, “Many of you like to say that major legislating can’t happen in an election year. We just proved you wrong. We continued to deliver for the people, and we’re going to continue that streak all the way through the end of this year and into the next Congress. We’re increasingly confident that we will hold and grow this majority in the House,” Johnson said.

The progress in the House is all well and good; but without 60 Senate votes, it's no more than a spit in the ocean. If the Senate Republicans won't end the filibuster, the next Democrat majority most certainly will.

Beltway Republicans almost seem to prefer being the minority party. Face it: It is easier to B&M over everything the majority does than to actually deliver. (The Democrats have been doing this for the last two years and non-stop from 2017-2021 during the first round of TDS.)

History suggests the party in control of the White House almost always loses seats in the midterm election. There are polls that suggest the trend will continue in November.

The national, state and local party leaders need to energize their registered Republicans and reach out to independents and conservative Democrats that they have a better strategy than the metastasizing Democrat Socialists of America. State candidates could start by addressing real property tax reform.

As the Democrat Socialists of America party continues to attract more members and officeholders, voters will have to decide just how far left they want their government – on all levels – to tilt. They may want to even ask themselves just where socialism or communism has ever worked for the people. (Granted, it has worked fine for the Castros, Putins, Xi Jinpings and little Kim Jong Uns of the world. It's just been horrible for those living beneath them.)

Meanwhile, the Republican Party can only hope to align with Mark Twain when he said, "The report of my death was an exaggeration."

Time will tell.

Rory Ryan is publisher and owner of The Highland County Press.