To borrow an apt phrase from former Fox News anchor and MAGA lightning rod Megyn Kelly, last week’s elections were “a terrible night for Republicans.” In essentially every election across the country, the results convincingly show that Americans are growing increasingly weary of extremism. Even among those with supposedly bulletproof MAGA endorsements, nearly every extreme candidate lost — and lost big.
The first example is just across our northern border. In Kentucky, incumbent Gov. Andy Beshear, a Democrat in a red state and red region, won reelection solidly over his Trump-endorsed MAGA opponent. Examples like Gov. Beshear’s victory were echoed in other states, as reported by NBC News: “Democrats won critical races in Virginia and Pennsylvania — states seen as barometers for the 2024 vote — as well as in Kentucky, where the governor won by a wider margin in his reelection bid than in his first go-round, beating a rival backed by former President Donald Trump.”
That’s about as clear as you can get: Staunchly conservative Kentucky reelects a Democrat to the highest office in the state, despite having a Trump-endorsed candidate as an alternative. Not only did Kentucky vote to keep Beshear in the governor’s office — voters also handed him election results that put him further across the finish line than he was in his first race for the office. It’s clear that moderation, hard work and listening to the will of the people are the right ways to govern. In this season of intense political messaging, these elections show us that they’re also the right way to campaign.
The election results also show us that Americans are growing tired of outside interference in matters that have no place in politics and legislation. Women’s reproductive health is a personal matter between a woman, her partner and her medical professionals. In red-leaning Ohio, voters established a woman’s right to choose her reproductive options, making it clear that the majority does not support a ban. It goes against America’s grain to ban basic freedoms like reproductive health choices. As Reuters put it: “Tuesday’s victory by Democratic incumbent Gov. Andy Beshear in Kentucky over a well-regarded Republican opponent, the passage in Republican-voting Ohio of a constitutional amendment guaranteeing abortion rights and Democratic wins in the battleground state of Pennsylvania showed the overall strength of Biden’s party.”
This comment leads me to question the results of recent polling that have suggested President Joe Biden is trailing Trump in key swing states. After all, this is the first presidential administration that has had to endure a vengeful former officeholder incessantly taking metaphorical swings at the current officeholder. We have no precedent regarding the impact of Trump’s negative comments and social media influence on polling results. It is clear that Biden’s legislative victories and economic policies are methodically and carefully positioning our country for continued success, despite the instability in the world and the deepening chasm between the extreme political positions in our country. Biden has made it a foundational goal of his administration to bridge this divide and speak to the commonalities among us all, and he has made good progress toward that goal during his first term. These recent election results reflect this — people are tired of extremes. As the conservative-leaning editorial board of The Wall Street Journal even commented: “Democrats are buoyant about their Tuesday night election showing, and why not? They handed Republicans another drubbing with their twin issue set of abortion rights and fear and loathing of the MAGAGOP. Republicans have a brand perception problem.”
Time will tell, but these election results are the first sign that, despite what someone may answer on a polling question, the voting booth is where it really matters: People are tired of extremes. President Biden said it best in his short-and-sweet social media post after the election results were counted: “Across the country tonight, democracy won and MAGA lost. Voters vote. Polls don’t. Now let’s go win next year.”
Bill Freeman
Bill Freeman is the owner of FW Publishing, the publishing company that produces the Nashville Scene, Nfocus, the Nashville Post and The News.
