PERKINS: The Midterms are Bad, But Not Fatal

We cannot recover everything that has been lost. But we can refuse to surrender what remains — and faithfully do our part to preserve this Republic.

Washington Stand – The days since the midterm elections remind me of arriving at a crime scene as a police officer. Witnesses and bystanders have seen the same event, but they process it differently. Some are angry. Others are frightened or confused.

A police officer cannot afford to join the chaos. You have to remain calm, establish the facts, help people regain their composure, and prepare for the next call. I was reminded of that responsibility this week while talking with one of my two adult children who serve in law enforcement. I’m grateful for those who do this difficult work.

That is how I’m approaching this election.

Let’s be clear: the political shift was substantial. There will be damaging policies, some of which will not be fully undone in the future. Pretending otherwise would be political spin, not an honest assessment.

But serious is not the same as fatal.

We’ve seen dramatic midterm reversals before. In 1994, voters handed Republicans control of both chambers of Congress after President Bill Clinton advanced an ambitious agenda, including tax increases and a sweeping health care proposal — remember HillaryCare? He also changed the policy on open homosexuality in the military. He forgot that he ran on the economy.

In 2006, voters gave Democrats control of Congress amid mounting dissatisfaction with the Iraq War, the federal response to Hurricane Katrina, and economic pressures, including gas prices.

Then came 2010. I remember speaking with a socially conservative Blue Dog Democrat as the Obama administration pressed ahead with its health care overhaul. The polling was clear: Democrats would lose Congress in the 2010 election if they continued the unpopular push.

His response was very telling. They knew they would lose the majority, but they also knew that Obamacare would fundamentally change the country, and the Republicans would never undo it. He was correct.

That conversation stayed with me. Political power can change hands quickly. The consequences of how it is exercised can last for generations.

This year, too, voters weighed not only policy objectives but the way those objectives were pursued, alongside concerns about war and the cost of living. We should examine those concerns rather than dismiss everyone who voted differently.

So here is my assessment of the scene: it is bad, but it is not fatal. One election does not settle the future of the American Republic. Nor does history guarantee that the next election will reverse this one.

Recovery requires something more demanding than waiting for the political winds to shift.

It requires citizens willing to pray when they are discouraged, vote when they are disappointed, and stand for truth when doing so is costly or unpopular.

At a crime scene, once the immediate danger has passed, the work is not finished. There are facts to establish, responsibilities to fulfill, and people who need help moving forward.

The same is true now. We cannot recover everything that has been lost. But we can refuse to surrender what remains — and faithfully do our part to preserve this Republic.