A Break from the Usual Format: The Midterm Election Report

Being that it is the Wednesday following an election day, I figured it would be appropriate to break away from the traditional Magnet news format and instead do an article covering the elections and my opinion of them.

To cut straight to the chase, I am a Republican, but I will cover this article with a neutral perspective. I will not attempt to argue the "historical" loss point that has been made by Republicans, trying to justify this loss.

To begin, I was greatly disappointed, to say the least, when I heard the Democrats had taken the House and were extremely close to taking the Senate. I thought that Kean had a chance in the New Jersey Senate election, though I was sadly mistaken. I felt that Republicans had what it took, using the power of incumbency, to hold onto the house.

With that being said, I do see the reason why voters voted the way they did. The war in Iraq was a main factor in their decisions. I feel that perhaps Donald Rumsfeld should have resigned at least 10 months ago, rather than after the elections, when it is of no use to Republicans. While I do normally stand with the President, Rumsfeld was just dead weight under him.

Although I wanted the Republicans to win, I do see some positives coming out of this election. First and foremost, the federal minimum wage will probably be raised, which is something that I feel should have been done at least 6 years ago. Adjusted for inflation, it is the lowest it has been in 50 years, which is just ridiculous. With Democrats controlling Congress, ironically enough the President will have an easier time passing his immigration reforms. On plenty of issues, Democrats side with my views, although the overall picture of the liberal side is something that I am against.

With all this being said, I tip my hat to all the Democratic Senators and Congressman who unseated Republican incumbents.

Kevin