What’s at Stake – The New York Times

To understand the significance and consequences of Tuesday’s midterm elections, I spoke with Astead Herndon, a political reporter who has covered this election cycle for Times podcast “The Run-Up.”

Claire: Hi Astead. I live in Europe, where a lot of people are just getting started with midterm exams. How would you explain to them and others in need of fostering why this election is important?

Calm: If Republicans take back the House, it will change the scope of US policy. We know they will try to block President Biden’s agenda. A Republican House of Representatives would hurt Biden’s ability to respond to domestic challenges on his terms, like inflation and global crises – Kevin McCarthy, House leader , has signaled that Republicans may stop approving aid to Ukraine.

We have also seen a global rise in fear of democratic collapse. If the United States elects legislators spreading conspiracy theories about elections and those who promise to subvert the tenets of democracy, which will make the autocratic leaders in other countries look bad and undermine the standing of the United States in the world.

These midterms are also important because they could signal the beginning of an even more divisive political era. We shouldn’t assume we’re on a split – we’re going to be lower.

When you say Republicans will try to block Biden, how is that possible?

If Republicans take over Congress, some members will push their new House speaker to start impeachment proceedings against the president and members of his cabinet like Merrick Garland, the attorney general. Some Republicans have been poised to impeach Biden since he took office. Their complaints are about policy and politics, not accusations of the kinds of abuses of power that have served as grounds for impeachment. McCarthy has try to minimize There’s been talk of impeachment recently, find it polarizing, but the ranking and the hard right profile will almost certainly put pressure on it.

You’ve been covering politics for years. What do you think we should pay more attention to?

Democrats are asking their base to rally behind the idea of ​​defending democracy – that’s what Biden said. But that establishment is predominantly working-class Americans and people of color. And many of them feel like the system hasn’t brought about clear and meaningful change on the issues that most affect their daily lives – like housing, wages or public safety. add.

A woman on last week’s episode of “The Run-Up” told us that democracy never worked for her. She has to bear the brunt of poverty. Her top problem is housing. That’s not what the Democrats are talking about. While Biden and Democrats have passed housing-related funding, that amount has been drastically cut from the levels that most problem-focused people consider necessary to create lasting change.

I also think the media has done too little to explain the pre-existing advantages of the Republican Party. Their control over the legislatures in several battleground states was powered by gerrymandering. We recently did a episodes of podcasts about Wisconsinand how Republicans have commanded the state legislature in such a way that they have effectively taken the Democrats out of power.

There are a lot of races so it can be difficult to keep track. Which of the following values?

It depends on what’s important to you. Assuming it’s the White House’s move to codify abortion rights into federal law: Look at the races where Democratic control of the House hangs in the balance and the Senate races in states like Nevada, Wisconsin and Georgia. If Democrats don’t hold both houses of Congress, that won’t happen.

If your concern is about the strength of democracy, check out the state races, such as governor, secretary of state, and states – especially with the Supreme Court case impending. could give more power in elections to state legislatures. You can also look at Wisconsin and Arizona, which have huge stakes, not just for this election but for the Democrats’ ability to win future races. The Republican candidates for governor in those states, Tim Michels of Wisconsin and Kari Lake of Arizona, have been openly hostile to elements of our electoral system – including the elections. voting by mail and early voting – which many Democrats say they need to stand a chance of succeeding.

When can we know some results?

Early numbers can give us hints of larger trends. In 2016 and 2020, the results in Florida gave us a good indication of the enthusiasm of particular voting blocs. If Republicans win a lot in Florida, that would be a bad sign for Democrats. Virginia’s margins, for example, can tell us whether young, college-educated white voters are returning to the Republican party, because they make up a large portion of the electorate there. But to get multiple results, we will have to wait for the total, which can take days.

Astead Herndon is a national political reporter who joined The Times in 2018. In high school, he wrote a column for his school newspaper called “Get in Astead’s Head.”

Added midterm

NEWS

War in Ukraine

Sports

Other great stories

• Aaron Carter, who became a teen hit in the early 2000s with songs like “I Want Candy” died at the age of 34.

• An uptick in anti-epidemic rhetoric has made this fall increasingly worrisome for American Jews.

FROM WOMEN’S OPINION

Sunday Question: Does the Parkland rifleman deserve the death penalty?

Judge guilt, mostly no regrets The Miami Herald’s editorial board said that Nikolas Cruz’s life in prison showed he had more compassion than he showed his victims. But seeing a murderer being killed doesn’t always bring solace for the victim’s family, Emilia Benton wrote for NBC News.

Best selling times: “How Y’all Doing ?,” a memoir by recently deceased actor Leslie Jordan, comes out as a paperback non-fiction book best seller. See all our listings.

MAGAZINE SUNDAY

On the cover: the The last position of the Democratic Party in Wisconsin.

introduction: Make Greek green beans and spinach.

Moralist: If you raise money after the fire, maybe you spend it on a vacation?

Eat: Pecan tart.

Read full problem.

WEEKEND

What to watch?

• World leaders will gather in Egypt to international negotiations on climate open today.

• Bessie Hendricks of Iowa, believed to be the oldest person in America, will celebrate her 115th birthday tomorrow.

• Tuesday is Election Day in the US

• Twitter shares will be delisted from the New York Stock Exchange on Tuesday, as Musk moves the company private.

• Christie’s will be auctioned billion dollar art collection by Paul Allen, the co-founder of Microsoft, on Wednesday and Thursday.

• The US will release October inflation data on Thursday morning.

• Veterans Day is on Friday.

What to cook this week

Looking for foods kids will actually eat? Emily Weinstein asked her colleagues what they feed their children on weeknights. Recommended by Kenji López-Alt niku udon, a quick, succulent Japanese soup. Margaux Laskey suggests huli huli chicken, noting that her children “love the salty-sweet taste of it.” Genevieve Ko’s pick is pasta with pumpkin seeds pesto, especially since it’s designed to be made ahead of time and eaten cold. Emily has More ideas for the week’s meals.