Tomorrow, Americans across the country will go to the polls to vote in the 2018 midterm election.
With all U.S. House of Representatives seats up for re-election, along with 35 Senate seats, the stakes for both parties are extremely high, as intense campaigning has been in full swing for months now. Republicans, who currently maintain slim control over both chambers of Congress, hope to keep their majorities while possibly picking up several seats in the Senate from red state Democrats. Historically, the incumbent president’s party suffers losses in midterm elections, but Republicans are hopeful that a booming economy and voter anger over the confirmation hearings for Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh will drive their base to the polls.
Democrats, on the other hand, have the chance to take back the House of Representatives for the first time since 2010, when they lost an abysmal 63 seats during the Tea Party wave. Democratic challengers nationwide have framed this election as a referendum on President Trump and are confident that increased voter enthusiasm will be enough to carry them across the finish line. Unsurprisingly, this election season has devolved into ugly politics, filled with partisan bickering and character assassinations. Yet, despite the trivial sideshows, the American people should know that this election and its implications for the direction of our country are enormous.
The American people have an easy choice to make next Tuesday. Over the last two years, our country has seen an unprecedented level of prosperity — unemployment is the lowest it’s been since 1969, wages have skyrocketed and middle class Americans have more money in their pockets. In addition, financial regulations that have long burdened ordinary Americans have been slashed, an originalist justice has been confirmed to the bench and America is finally enforcing its sovereignty at the southern border. The mainstream media loves to focus on irrelevant tweets and peddle outrage — all while ignoring the current administration and Congress’s incredible achievements.
In 2016, the American people took a chance by electing political novice Donald Trump president; it looks like that choice paid off. The alternative, however, has a drastically different plan for our country.
According to Democrats, tax cuts for middle class Americans are “crumbs,” federal law enforcement agencies are “racist” for enforcing the law and mob rule is even encouraged. In fact, America “was never that great,” in the words of New York governor and Democrat Andrew Cuomo. It is absolutely terrifying to see one of the two major political parties completely turn its back on the fundamental values that originally made our country great. Individual liberty, free markets, presumption of innocence and the rule of law have no place in a Democrat’s America.
This election is not over minor political disagreements; it is about the soul of America and whether or not we still believe in the basic principles upon which our country was founded. The Republican party is by no means perfect, but the alternative is far worse. This Tuesday, Americans across the country should go to the polls and vote Republican up and down the ballot.
Wright Ricketts is a senior banking and finance major from Memphis.
