Americans take a stand for decency as the GOP red wave turns to dust, surprising all of us

Americans take a stand for decency as the GOP red wave turns to dust, surprising all of us I'll posit that Americans don’t love it when a political party broadly embraces a bullying figure like former President Donald Trump. They don’t take kindly to candidates who deny election results.

Show Caption Hide Caption Georgia midterm voters share their choices as they leave the polls As they leave the polls in the 2022 midterms, Georgia voters share what was most important to them in making their decision. Phillip M. Bailey, Josh Morgan and Hank Farr, USA TODAY

Let’s cut to the chase: The ebullient Republicans who marched into Tuesday’s midterm elections smugly confident they would surf to power on a mighty, nation-sweeping red wave were left high and dry. Why? I’d argue it’s a testament to Americans’ distaste for indecency.

There are still races to be called and we don’t yet know which party will control the House or the Senate, but it was clear by the end of the evening the GOP would come nowhere near the liberal-crushing victories predicted by party leaders and right-leaning pundits.

Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., conceded that it was “definitely not a Republican wave, that’s for darn sure.” Republican Rep. Mayra Flores of Texas lost to her Democratic challenger and tweeted: “The RED WAVE did not happen. Republicans and Independents stayed home. DO NOT COMPLAIN ABOUT THE RESULTS IF YOU DID NOT DO YOUR PART!”

Republicans had a perfect storm, until they didn't

Why did this happen? Midterm elections typically favor the party that doesn’t hold the White House, the sitting Democratic president has low favorability numbers, and inflation and food prices are high. It was a perfect storm for Republicans, or so they, the pollsters and the prevailing media narrative thought.

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Call me idealistic, but I’ll posit a good number of Americans don’t love it when a political party broadly embraces a bullying figure like former President Donald Trump. Some don’t take kindly to political candidates who deny election results, or those who say they’ll only accept an election that they win. Some don’t like seeing politicians enthusiastic about taking rights away from women, or from married gay and lesbian couples. Some don’t appreciate a party that scapegoats transgender children to score political points, or one that accuses teachers of being groomers or pedophiles.

In Michigan, election-denying Republican Tudor Dixon lost the gubernatorial race, though she refused to concede. In Pennsylvania, Republican Doug Mastriano, who has voiced anti-transgender views, lost the gubernatorial race. We saw it in races large and small – some candidates who embraced extreme views won, but plenty lost, certainly far more than the GOP expected.

Not calling out the worst elements in their party hurt Republicans

Not every Republican candidate did or said these things, of course. But many did, and the extremists who make up a good swath of the GOP base did nothing to hide their cruelty, whether through chants at Trump rallies or hollering outbursts at school board meetings.

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So the fact that such indecent behavior was never broadly condemned by the party at large made a difference. I think voters had to weigh the cost of a gallon of milk against the cost of putting some troublingly unkind people in positions of power, and they decided to take a stand for what’s right, pocketbook be damned.

This isn't just a win for Democrats – it's a win for decency

I’m sure Republicans will still find a way to crow about their far-lower-than-expected gains. Or they’ll place blame for the unexpected losses on “rigged elections” or “bad candidates.” Maybe they’ll even come to their senses and blame Trump, though I doubt it.

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But at the end of the day, whatever the precise final outcome, decency and support for democracy found a way to prevail in a noisy, often unseemly time.

And that’s a win for all of us.

Follow USA TODAY columnist Rex Huppke on Twitter @RexHuppke and Facebook: facebook.com/RexIsAJerk

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