Republicans picked up more votes in House & Senate races than anticipated.

[no_hypocrisy]

1. Was that "insurance" in case Biden won the presidency?

2. Was that in the hopes that Trumpism would survive in Congress?

3. In the alternative to #2, was it in the false hope that Republicans would return to "pre-Trump" if he weren't President.


Why? Just why?

[Raven123]

1. I think the answer varies.

Some Congressional districts were tough, such as Max Rose in NY. Trump voters were out in greater numbers thus year. Like it or not, the GOP painted every Dem as too liberal and those seats were hard to hold.

The GOP microtargeted districts and groups. Dems were so focused on the Presidency and perhaps overconfident from 2018 that they didn’t do the same.


Just a couple of thoughts.

[SCantiGOP]

2. If they got more votes

It was because more people voted.
Simple.

[LiberalArkie]

3. The Republicans have been playing a ground up game forever.

In the South is was electing conservative Democrats as a mayor and moving up the food chain

[exboyfil]

4. Messaging sucked in Iowa

I don't watch commercial television except NFL games (and that usually with the sound off), but the Hulu and Youtube ads that ran while I was exercising and could not mute were very damaging. They were also at 3 to 1 any Democratic response. I lost my one term Representative. We probably lost another House seat. We lost the Senate and Presidency badly.

[SMC22307]

5. In NC, Cunningham probably would have beat Tillis if not for the sexting/affair(s).

It would have been close, but I think he would have eked out a victory. I also feel that the never-ending ads of "defund the police" and images of American cities burning killed us in certain areas.

[SharonAnn]

6. I think some life-long Republicans voted for all R's Except Trump!

No complicated strategy. They just thought Trump was terrible.

[Karma13612]

7. I like a lot of what's been said here in the comments.

My only addition would be:

What ever it was, we need to beat it in 2022.
We need the Senate and need to have a much better majority in the House.

I think we can do it, but we need to really really have a plan along with great progressive candidates. Create the narrative, obliterate Repukes on their obstructionism, and GOTV. Listen to whatever Stacey Abrams suggests!!! Oh, and not apologize for being Democrats.

But, I’m just an armchair political warrior, my 2 cents come with a cup of tea and fresh Banana-Nut muffins.