Who DNC Big Money Lifted and Who Was Left Out in Mid-Term
Leading into election 2022, most observers said Democrats were facing a "red wave." The most commonly cited metric was the correlation between presidential approval rating and mid-term election results. Most talked about the low approval ratings for Obama in 2010 and Trump in 2018, and the losses their parties sustained, compared to George W. Bush high approval rating in 2002.
The trend tracks much longer than the last three presidents.
While there is some variation over time, the general idea of presidential approval rating indicating mid-term results has significant consistency. The president's party loses seats, at least in the house. The only exception is George W. Bush, the only one to gain seats in both houses, who had the highest approval ratings of the 68 years since Eisenhower's first mid-term election.
Did Biden Defy the Odds?
Going into election day 2022, President Biden's approval rating was 42%, lower than the first mid-term election of the Obama and Trump presidencies. The trend would suggest Democrats were in for significant losses.
As of Monday, Wednesday, November 16, Democrats have flipped one seat and currently have 50 seats in the Senate, the same number as they won in 2020. One race remains to be decided, a runoff in Georgia next month could lead to a gain of one seat.
In the House, Democrats won 222 seats in 2020, to the Republicans 213. As of Wednesday, January 16, according to the New York Times, Republicans have secured 217 seats and Democrats 209.
Of the nine races yet to be called, each side seemingly has three that are likely to go their way, leaving the count at 220 to 212. That leaves a slim Republican majority of between five to 11.
How did Democrats defy history and avoid being trounced?
If the results defying this long history of trends where the result of enthusiasm for Democrats, Biden's approval would be more in line with precious trends where the party in power did not experience significant losses, The realiy is that Democrats aren't popular, but Republicans are less popular.
Katie Porter in One of the Closest House Races
Rep. Katie Porter, the incumbent of the 45th district of California, is in one of the closest races in the country where she is running for the 47th district due to redistricting. As of Wednesday, November 16, she is ahead by about 1.6% with 84% of the votes counted, according to the New York Times.
In the week leading up to election day, Porter explained to John Stewart the challenges she faces in her race. She received $300,000 in support from the DNC while her opponent received $9 million in spending through ad buys against her in the last month of the campaign. Her race was rated a toss-up by election day.
Democrats Spending in Republican Primaries in 2022
How the National Committees of both parties, and their network of Political Action Committees (PACs) distribute financial resources to candidates is always a point of controversy. Even more so in 2022.
According to the Washington Post, Democrats spent over $53 million supporting far-right Republicans in their primary campaign in 2022, mostly by running ads. The Republican primary candidates supported by the DNC were successful in six of 13 primaries.
Here are those races and their outcomes.
Democrats spending to promote the worst Republican candidates as a strategy to win is an admission that their candidates need weaker opponents to win.
Democrats should spend those funds where they are clearly needed: Finding better Democrats.
Katie Porter is Not Just Any Democrat
Katie Porter has credentials like many in Congress; a law degree from Harvard Law School, then went on to clerk for a judge, followed by becoming a professor, then taking an appointment in a government role before running for Congress.
She clerked in bankruptcy court and taught at the University of California, Irvine School of Law. In 2012 she was appointed by then California Attorney General Kamala Harris as the independent monitor implementing California's share of a nationwide mortgage settlement worth $25 billion.
Porter is also a single mom of three children and, as she frequently says, drives a mini-van.
In 2018, Porter defeated Mimi Waters, a Republican running for her third term in California's 45th. Porter District and became the first Democrat to represent that district since 1953 (the district number has changed many times over the years due to redistricting). In 2020, she became the first Democrat who is not Hispanic to win a district in Orange County since 1985.
Now running in the 47th district due to redistricting, Porter finds herself competing for just a third of what was the 45th district she's represented for four years.
Despite winning and holding a difficult district with the right education and background, and a demonstrated ability to raise money despite swearing off corporate money and influence, the DNC chose to support and promote far-right, conspiracy filled Republicans in primaries with more campaaign support.
The reason is no mystery. She supports issues that affect working people and not corporate profits.
If you are familiar with Porter, it is like through her questioning of witnesses in congressional hearings. Frequently, especially with corporate CEOs, her questioning is on the path to obliterating the witness.
No, obliterating is not an overstatement.
In 2020, at the start of the pandemic, Porter questioned the CDC Director. She wanted something from him. She got it. While it may have otherwise happened, she got it done on the spot.
When Porter had the opportunity to question Jamie Dimon, the CEO of Chase, she wanted to lean on his financial expertise to provide advice to one of her constituents, also a Chase employee. It didn't appear she thought he was very helpful.
The CEO of Cogene, now a Bristol-Myers Squibb Company and maker of Revlimid, a cancer drug, faced questions about the price increases and how it connects to his compensation. It didn't seem pleasant for him.
In the last example, Porter gets a hold of the CEO of Wells Fargo related to the scandal of accounts it opened on behalf of customers without their knowledge. While Porter typically makes strong use of visual aids during questioning, the graph used here is quite informative.
While watching a single mom destroy corporate CEOs and nearly force the CDC Director to declare free testing for COVID-19 on live television is great theatre, what shouldn't be missed is who Porter advocates for: regular people. If there is a single person in congress who figuratively packs a lunchpail every day, it is Katie Porter.
She does what Democrats are supposed to do. One would expect the Democratic Party to see her as an assett.
The unfortunate reality is Democrats, like Republicans, primarily advocate for those corporate CEOs, not the middle-class people that work in the businesses they run. That makes her expendable.
That is why she's on her own in her race in California. Because she's outside the mainstream of the Democratic Party. She advocates for us.