An Urgent Warning for the GOP

On November 3, America goes to the polls. One-third of the Senate and the entire House of Representatives are up for election. Early polls indicate a defeat for the Republican Party and the taking of control of both Houses of the Congress by the Democrats; they are in danger of fallng under the control of an extreme leftist group called the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA). The DSA is utilizing Trotskyist techniques to enter and seize control of that party. What is the significance of a Democrat sweep this November? Before answering this question, it would be instructive to review for the reader the mid-term congressional election of 1958 and what its consequences were.

Dwight D. Eisenhower was the President. A beloved war hero who commanded the allied forces on D-Day and went on to defeat the Nazis and win World War II in Europe, "Ike" was twice elected president in 1952 and 1956. He was a Republican and the first to be elected since Herbert Hoover's win over Al Smith in 1928. Ike was immensly popular and won election and re-election in landslides. At that time, he was only in his mid-sixties but was the oldest president in American history. After years of post World War II economic growth, there was a moderate economic slowdown which started in the summer of 1957. Construction and manufacturing were severely affected and automobile manufacturing slumped by almost 50%. Unemployment rose, particularly in industrial areas ; for example in Michigan, it reached 11%. The recession, the most severe since the end of World War II, took its toll on the GOP as the Democrats took control of both houses of congress in landslide victories. In the 85th Congress, elected in 1956 (1957-59), there were 49 Democrats and 47 Republicans (Alaska and Hawaii were not yet states). After the November 1958 election, the 86th Congess now had 64 Democrats and 34 Republicans in the Senate. This lopsided Democratic control of the Senate endured until the 97th Congress, elected in November 1980 when, with the long coattails of Ronald Reagan, there was finally a change of control to the GOP. The Senate Democratic victory of 1958 endured for 22 years. Similarly, in the House of Representatives, the November 1958 election saw the Democratic majority increase from 33 to 129. These lopsided majorities endured for 36 years (Nov 1994) when the 104th congress was elected.

One party government is not good in a democracy. A strong, vigorous loyal opposition is mandatory for good government. It is true that during the years of Democrat control of the congress, there were periods of Republican control of the executive branch of government as Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford, Ronald Reagan, and George Bush (41) served as President. But no branch of government should be safe for a particular party. This is not desirable and should be opposed. One party control of one branch of government for over a generaton is neitherdesirable nor healthy. All elections should be contested with no seat classified as "safe". Elected officials at all levels of government should be reminded that they have no right to their seat, They are only the servants of the citizenry, not the masters. Unfortunately widespread gerrymandering by both parties insure a large number, perhaps a majority, of "safe" seats which are not in play. Three members of one particular family have held a congressionl seat for over 92 years in Michigan. How is it possible that one district is served so long by one family? Is a House of Lords being created in America?

This brings us to the upcoming November mid-term elections. Donald Trump is no Dwight Eisenhower. He is relatively unpopular despite his election by a popular vote majority as well as by an Electoral College majority. He was elected to his second non-consecutive term as president over a particularly weak opponent, Kamala Harris, who trumpeted her position in the "Biden Harris" administration which was massively unpopular. Today, most polls put President Trump's popularity at approximately 38%. We are in a sort of sitzkrieg war with Iran, with a resultant rise in gasolne pump prices to unprecedented levels along with relatively modest inflation in comparison to the inflationary chaos of the former Biden administration. President Trump has quarreled with and alienated members of his party in the Senate, causing some to lose primary challenges and placing those seats in peril in the upcoming general election. Polls today augur badly for the GOP this November. The Democrats are not without their own problems as they face threats from the extreme leftist Democratic Socialists of America who are certainly aiming to take over control of that party. Yet come November, a Democrat victory may be of historic proportions. At this time in history, the nation cannot afford a generational shift to one party control, particularly if the Democrats win the presidency in 2028. One can remember the "Great Society" program of President Lyndon Johnson as he pushed through legislation, much of it poorly thought out and designed, through his majority rubber stamp congress which in the long run has proven disastrous. So what can the GOP members and candidates do? They must remember what their job is. They are not the servants of the occupant of the White House, who after the November election will be a lame duck. Their first loyalty must be to their constituents, the voters-their real bosses, as they will decide who represents them. They must stand or fall on the local issues which determine how voters pick their candidates. As former House Speaker "Tip" O'Neill said "all politics is local". Forget the White House incumbent. Remember Abraham LIncoln, Theodore Roosevelt, Dwight Eisenhower and Ronald Reagan. They made the GOP a worthwhile party and the candidates must restore it to what it was. And then, maybe just maybe, one party rule can be avoided and democracy can be preserved.

Garry S. Sklar,

Las Vegas, NV

September 15, 2026