Midterms: Democrats, Trump Wake Up Happy But For How Long?

Commentary

President Donald Trump wanted the midterm elections to be a referendum on him, and he got his wish. CNN exit polling showed Trump was paramount in the minds of 65 percent of voters -- with 26 percent saying they voted as they did to support him and 39 percent saying that voted as they did to oppose him.

Now, with Democrats picking up at least 25 seats and taking control of the House -- and Republicans maintaining their Senate majority -- America again has a deeply divided government.

There will be many people who look at the blue wave in the House as a rejection of all things Trump -- including his policies. But there is something in this election for everyone, and Democrats' claims of victory and accompanying promises of holding the administration more accountable are undercut by continued Republican control of the Senate, which heralds an even more conservative judiciary.

Trump supporters will point to the economy and the Kavanaugh confirmation hearings as big reasons for Republican successes Tuesday night. Yet exit polling suggests that in many House districts, the president's relentless assault on democratic norms -- his courting of racist nationalists, his constant demonizing of Democrats and the media, his refusal to solely act as a unifier after national tragedies, his casual lying about so many topics -- drove away suburban voters, especially women.

If anything, the nation is more divided. Trump love is legitimate. But Trump fatigue is real. Here's hoping the president means what he told Sinclair Broadcasting this week about employing a "softer tone" if given a redo and doesn't instead excuse away his partial rebuke.

The Democrats should look inward, too. Will they use their control of the House as California Attorney General Xavier Becerra has used his power to constantly send messages that they hate the president -- or will they focus on getting things done? Here's hoping California's House Democrats -- starting with San Diego Reps. Susan Davis, Scott Peters and Juan Vargas -- choose the latter.

There is a chance that a divided government means little gets done. That's mostly what happened in the six years that Democratic President Barack Obama dealt with a Republican House. But there have also been periods in U.S. history where divided government was surprisingly effective.

After the GOP took control of Congress in 1994, President Bill Clinton worked with Republicans to enact sweeping welfare reform and a balanced-budget deal that pushed government spending as a percentage of the U.S. economy to a 34-year low.

If San Francisco Rep. Nancy Pelosi becomes speaker again, is compromise possible? From crushing national debt to climate change to infrastructure repair, there are many issues where bipartisanship is desperately needed. Gridlock might be a safer bet, but Americans should pray for progress.

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