Polls, and the overall mood of the nation, suggest that the Republicans are on track to deliver an emphatic triumph over the Democrats during the midterm elections in November.

Joe Biden's calamitous presidency and the Democrats' propensity to endorse ideas that are contrary to popular and national interests have caused the voters, perhaps even a significant section of Democrats, to rally against the Democrats.

Facing certain defeat, the Democrats may adopt a few shady maneuvers to stop the bleeding.  And there is potential for Republicans to trip and make mistakes.

Recently, Democrats such as White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki, Attorney General Merrick Garland, and House speaker Nancy Pelosi said they tested positive for COVID-19.  So COVID is suddenly an issue now.

Perhaps COVID-19 will be used again to compel mail voting, which presents copious opportunities for fraud.  Democrats, after all, still have majorities in the House and the Senate to defend.

After the midterm results are declared, the Democrats can, as always, claim that Putin took a break from the war in Ukraine to rig U.S. elections.  If not Putin, they will blame it on voter suppression due to racist laws.  Biden recently claimed that the midterm results could be "illegitimate" as his plans to overhaul the voting system were blocked.

The Democrats can then demand a probe into the 2022 elections for which they can misuse investigative agencies and the Justice Department as they did in 2017.  They may organize paid demonstrators to blockade Washington in "protest" of the rigged elections.  They could ask the newly elected GOP congressional representatives not to implement their agenda until the probe is complete because the election is illegitimate.

Previously, it was "collusion" and "insurrection."  This time, it could be "subversion" or some other rarely used word.  All of this will be done to "protect democracy."  The media are always there to legitimize and amplify their ridiculousness.  Tom Hanks may be brought in to narrate a documentary about it.

There is another ploy that the Democrats could apply.  They could secretly promote liberal Republicans of the Arnold Schwarzenegger variety.  These could be individuals who have maintained a relatively low profile, with not many public utterances, which may cause them not to be identifiable.  If some among these stooges manage to secure victories in the Senate and Congress, they could become Trojan horses who scupper the conservative agenda. 

This is where the GOP has to be very cautious.               

If there is any leader across political parties whose endorsement can change the fortunes of a candidate, it is President Donald Trump.

On myriad occasions, Trump's endorsements have managed to revive the prospects of trailing candidates to enable them an emphatic win.

There probably is a section of MAGA voters who either do not have the time to investigate such endorsements, because they are busy working or don't have the patience to look up the record of a candidate.  They see a Trump endorsement and vote accordingly.

No other leader in the GOP, nor among the Democrats, has such sway over the voters.  This makes Trump's endorsements vitally important.

However, some of Trump's recent endorsements have left experts scratching their heads.

One such Trump endorsement of this stripe is for Dr. Mehmet Oz, a television celebrity medical doctor.  At various points, notably from 2017 to 2019, Oz co-authored articles that praised or advocated a variety of gun control legislation initiatives, including assault weapon bans, red flag laws, universal gun purchaser licensing, and mandatory waiting periods.  Oz fumbled on his stance on abortion, too.  He is also a friend of Oprah.

Trump also endorsed Morgan Ortagus, who served as the spokesperson for Trump's United States Department of State.  Some conservatives have pointed out that Ortagus is a vaccine advocate, and her wedding was officiated by Ruth Bader Ginsburg.  A private email from Jan. 19, 2021, revealed Ortagus plotting a career move "no matter what happened with [the] election," and she praised key Obama/Biden-era official Ned Price, who would be her replacement, as "fantastic."

Recently, Trump withdrew his endorsement of Rep. Mo Brooks for the Senate in Alabama after Brooks called on fellow Republicans to "stop obsessing over the 2020 presidential election results" and focus on the electoral races in 2022 and 2024.

In the past, Trump endorsed Mitt Romney for the Senate.  Romney went on to win the Senate seat in Utah.  Since then, he has been a consistent and vocal opponent of Trump, even voting to convict Trump of inciting an insurrection at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6 during the impeachment vote in 2021.

But let's also be realistic.  The only consistent feature in human behavior is unpredictability.  Different people, even identical twins, react differently to different circumstances and disagree on issues.  Finding a candidate who is totally in sync with all issues is impossible.  There will always be dissenters and free thinkers, which can be a boon.  The only group that blindly follows the groupthink like a flock of sheep is the Democrats.

Perhaps Dr. Oz and Ortagus will turn out to be great supporters and advocates for the MAGA agenda.  But their records do raise questions.

It is also important to note that people change, at times even drastically.  Some experiences can cause life-alerting epiphanies.  Perhaps a close relative manages to survive a home invasion because she was in possession of a firearm.  This personal experience can compel the individual to change his position on guns.  It would be wrong to hold previous opinions against that individual, no matter what.

For first-time candidates, there are not many records to verify.  Hence, endorsements are given, based on instinct.  This is a gamble, but not taking this gamble prevents fresh blood from entering politics. 

An endorsement matters mostly during the primaries, where the voter has a facility to choose among Republicans. 

At times, a candidate says all the right things and has a clean record but changes colors like a chameleon after being seduced by Washington. 

At times, endorsements are made for the party, and Trump's endorsement of trailing Lindsey Graham and Mitch McConnell may be in this category because both are better than having a far-left Democrat in their places.

But given a choice, it is advisable to endorse individuals who have a strong record, such as Sarah Palin, Rand Paul, Jim Jordan, Ron DeSantis, etc., all of whom Trump has endorsed.

It must be remembered that senators have a tenure of six years in office, whereas House members have a tenure of two years.  With no recall facilities, a lawmaker has the power to change the direction of the country.  He may be voted out later, but the damage is permanent.

To be fair, most of Trump's endorsements have been correct.  But even one poorly judged endorsement could cause one solitary vote that causes ruin. 

It took one vote from the late GOP Sen. John McCain to prevent the repeal of Obamacare.  In the future, it could take one vote to implement gun control laws or mandate vaccines or impose high carbon taxes, or any other pet Democrat proposal.

It is therefore essential that President Trump, who is the prime GOP endorser, has his team meticulously scrutinize the record of the candidate prior to handing out endorsements.

Among the biggest beneficiary of choosing wisely will be Trump himself.  For starters, anti-Trump probes such as the House's Jan. 6 committee can be shut down only by fearless conservatives.

These midterm elections are crucial.  They are the first step toward halting and fixing the damage done by Biden and the Democrats and saving the soul of the nation. 

One faulty move, and all could come tumbling down.

Image: Federal government via Wikipedia (cropped), public domain.