The Obama Nostalgia Show
AtlanticDec 23, 2022
The Facts
Pres. Joe Biden and his predecessor Donald Trump are firing up their respective political bases a day before Tuesday's midterm elections, with Biden set to hold a rally in Maryland on Monday evening, while Trump holds the final rally of the campaign in Ohio.
Biden has already held a rally in New York — and Trump in Florida — to help cement support for Democratic and Republican candidates, respectively. Polling suggests that Republicans are to likely take the lower chamber but the Senate is still a toss-up between the main political parties.
The Spin
Republican narrative
With Republicans showing gains in the polls nationwide, Democrats have been reduced to sending a desperately unpopular party leader to campaign for incumbent Democrats. Even in the supposedly "safe" blue area of southern California, Rep. Mike Levin faces a potential loss due to his party's woke social policies and economic agenda. This referendum on Biden's presidency will reflect a record of failure.
Democratic narrative
In a set of elections with so many too-close-to-call races, Biden has focused strategically on retaining and sparking enthusiasm in typically Democrat supporting districts. Democratic campaigning has also highlighted those GOP election deniers who are continuing to make baseless claims about the 2020 presidential results — by putting forward such candidates, the Republicans are sabotaging their own chances.