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Is 2022 Suddenly Looking DISASTROUS for Dems?
An audience member wrote in to ask if the situation in Afghanistan and Biden’s lack of legislative accomplishments will have an effect on the 2022 midterms. The truth is that it’s too early to say. It’s no doubt that, at least in the short term, the Taliban takeover is bad for Joe Biden’s optics. Republicans will argue that if Trump were still president this never would have happened (even though Trump planned to get out of Afghanistan months earlier than Biden). Some will blame the Biden administration for “wasting” the twenty-year effort at nationbuilding it Afghanistan. It can also be argued that Joe Biden will need more legislative victories over the next year if he is going to be able to convince voters to elect Democrats in the House and Senate. The infrastructure deal is expected to be his next accomplishment, followed up perhaps by a significant expansion of the social safety net in the next budget reconciliation bill. Biden’s job approval has fallen below 50% for the first time in his presidency, coming in at 49% this week according to trackers from FiveThirtyEight and RealClearPolitics.
There are some other harsh realities that are working against Democrats in 2022. In nearly all instances in modern American history, the incumbent president’s party has lost seats during their first midterm election. Recent examples include the Tea Party takeover when Obama was president in 2010 and the blue wave for Democrats in 2018. The left has tight margins to work with in Congress, as Democrats have only a slim majority in the House of Representatives at under ten seats. Making matters worse, state legislatures around the country are going to be redrawing congressional districts, and more Republicans are going to have control over this process than Democrats. The Senate right now is a 50/50 split, but given there are more Republicans senators up for reelection in 2022, Democrats could still maintain control in the upper chamber. It’s certainly possible that Democrats maintain the energy for 2022 that they had in 2020. But with Trump no longer on the ballot and the right wing arguably more fired up, Democrats may be in for a long night on November 8, 2022.
Maybe the US Should Stop Nationbuilding
A viewer called in to ask about US foreign policy and what’s next after the fall of Afghanistan to the Taliban. Certainly in the immediate, the United States has a duty to welcome in tens of thousands of refugees because much of the situation is the fault of American efforts in Afghanistan over decades. The temporary surge in troops to get Americans and allies out of the country is likely necessary as well. Beyond that, it’s hard to say what the role of US involvement should even be. The attempt at nation building over the past twenty years has clearly failed, first in Iraq and then in Afghanistan. The US has certainly lost any credibility it had remaining militarily with these wars in the Middle East. If a country’s government is deemed too barbaric by the rest of the world, the consensus to get involved will have to weigh much more heavily with other powers. The US can be a participant in the conversation but it’s hard to say they should remain a leader in it. After the US’s failures in the Middle East, it’s difficult to imagine there will be an appetite for any country to be nationbuilding any time soon.
From yesterday’s show:
Doctor Will No Longer Treat Unvaccinated Patients
A primary care physician in Alabama is saying he soon will not be treating unvaccinated people at his practice. Dr. Jason Valentine is a doctor at Mobile’s Diagnostic and Medical Clinic Infirmary Health. A sign posted outside of his office and sent out online reads “effective Oct. 1, 2021, Dr. Valentine will no longer see patients that are not vaccinated against COVID-19.” Valentine has said that since posting the sign, three patients have asked him where they can get the vaccine. Some people have criticized Dr. Valentine for his decision, arguing it could violate the Hippocratic oath to turn away unvaccinated patients. But it’s important to stress, Valentine is doing primary care and not emergency care. The doctor is saying only vaccinated people can be on his roster of patients, which he has the right to do. Alabama is the least vaccinated state in the country, with under 36% of the population immunized for COVID-19. It’s no surprise that they are also going through one of the worst case waves in the country right now, which more vaccinated states have able to avoid.
More on the show:
--David's girlfriend tested positive for COVID-19 in Europe during their recent trip...or did she?
--Caller discusses George W. Bush's role in the Taliban taking over Afghanistan
--Caller asks if the government is violating the First Amendment by telling Facebook to censor anti-vaxxers
--Caller wants to know how to get people better informed on the issues
--Caller talks about getting politicians to represent the people and work on the most important issues
--Caller discusses the media's coverage of the Taliban's takeover of Afghanistan
--Caller asks about the upcoming recall election for governor of California
--Caller wonders how to get people to think more critically
--Caller talks about the future of nation building after the fall of Afghanistan
--Audience Question: Should First Amendment protections apply to social media sites?
--Audience Question: Should Republicans run on "return to normal" in 2022?
--On the Bonus Show: Mike Lindell targets Rick Wiles, three senators test positive for COVID, Biden cancels $5.8 billion in student loan debt, and much more...
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