In every election cycle, battle lines are drawn up, and for each party, there is a simple question that can frame the coming election: Would you rather be us, or them?

In the 2022 midterms, it is fair to look at “us” as the Republican opposition to “them,” which is one-party Democrat rule.

“Us” may in this case begin to attract independents and even some disillusioned Democrats.  Time will tell as issues drive votes.  “Them” is the currently very woke, very controlling, and actually complaining and whining nasty Democrats led by Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Senator Chuck Schumer, and the Biden/Harris administration from the top down. Since it is a midterm, and the late Tip O’Neill called all politics as local, blue and red governors have a role in setting the tone along with blue city mayors.

In the run-up to election day, often issues that appear important at the time and others considered second-order can (to use a computer phrase in rebooting) “halt and catch fire” by dynamically changing at the last minute. Consequently, determining the strengths and weaknesses of the “us or them” equation does not now favor the entrenched 'D' establishment.

In no particular order this is the current state of play:

On all things COVID, “them,” along with media sycophants and enablers of "them," totally own the antics of Dr. Anthony Fauci. Consequently, since he has been exhibiting all the symbolic characteristics of a mouse running around in their campaign kitchen, it is not a good political position for them.

The beginnings of a devouring inflation monster are now totally owned by the Democrat leaders’ policies and programs, which involve the printing of money. Inflation is always and everywhere a monetary phenomenon, as Milton Friedman used to say. Joe Biden's claim that Friedman "is not in charge anymore," pretty well makes this Joe's inflation show. This will only get much worse, perhaps putting the hapless President Carter’s created misery index into the history books as a minor inconvenience.

The supply chain crises of scarcity leading to empty shelves is building nationwide, too, not just as a result of COVID restrictions, too much dependence on China, and bad regulations, but now tied to the George Soros wing of the Democrats. These Democrats created soft-on-crime prosecutors turning a blind eye to rampant broad-daylight train robbery and other thievery in blue cities such as Los Angeles, as well as shoplifting and strongarm shakedown street crime there and well beyond.  Many cities and even soft-on-crime states have created a prescription for violent predators to victimize innocents who had looked to the government to keep order. And, sadly many police forces currently recognize that their political leaders do not have their backs. They are quitting and resigning in droves, leaving police departments short-staffed and demoralized.

For “us” it was a brilliant move for the Republican Whip Congressman Steve Scalise to tee up “law and order” as an election-year issue.  He most certainly can with unimpeachable standing “talk the talk” after surviving an assassination attempt by a deranged fanatical Democrat Bernie Sanders supporter. In addition to home-grown street crime, tie together Biden/Harris Administration’s soft on immigration policies with the highest number of illegals crossing in 2021 while also tragically turning a blind eye to murderous drug smuggling onto heartland America, where our young adults are dying.

The great unknown in an election is always war and peace issues.  If the ChiComs or Russians go as the military would say “kinetic,” creating a shooting war, the matter will enter the 2022 political debate. However, right now the “us” team has many combat veterans running for office. They, along with perhaps relatives of those who served also running, are a powerful voice for accountability of the Biden administration’s military.

That includes the greatest combat loss in American history the fall of Afghanistan and the shameful bug-out from Kabul. Breaking the great tradition of the American military of "leave no one behind" accrues to the Biden administration and its Department of State with the tragedy of many still being trapped in Afghanistan, which isn't going away.

Along with a new generation of military veterans intent on holding weak and disgraced general officers accountable, these veterans in the 'us' column can bring insightful oversight to the Department Of Veterans affairs. It was little noticed that a Board of Veterans Appeals Veterans Administrative Law Judge and his legal team gave binding guidance that before a service disability compensation case can be evaluated, all CVs of treating doctors have to be collected and kept on file. This insult to the professionalism of medical doctors by ordering DVA mid-level bureaucrats to adjudicate their fitness is so awful in principle and practice. The practical effect, in one case, is that was previously a month or less process goes on for nine months. What were those legal chowders thinking, combat disabled veterans elected to Congress in 2022 can certainly find out.

Finally, in another stroke of political genius, House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy named the names of Democrats who would lose their committee assignments. His actions were justified because Speaker Pelosi began such a nasty process. The Democrats have not been battle-hardened in public debate by a fair and balanced press, but just the opposite -- they have been coddled. Consequently, the whining and crybaby antics by the members identified are priceless in an election year. Please keep drawing attention to yourselves, themsters, you arrogant fools.

Finally on the “us” side is the forceful and honorable right from the start leadership of Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin—he kept his campaign promises from day one. The great lesson in such a brilliant audacious start is that the citizens of Virginia saw a politician who said what he meant and did it, especially in education policies.

The bottom line, at this time, is the very powerful nationwide and local issues are most definitely accruing to Republican challengers for the House and Senate.  And the lesson from Virginia following the immediate executive actions of the newly sworn-in Republican Virginia governor in this election is that there is a party that means what they say. A voter cannot ask for more than that.

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