The American midterm elections brought to mind the title of EM Forster’s 1951 essay collection: Two Cheers for Democracy.
Despite President Joe Biden’s 44% approval rating at the time and the Republicans having heavy cudgels – inflation, immigration and crime – with which to batter the incumbent Democrats, the widely anticipated Red Wave didn’t eventuate. Instead, there was what was variously described as a “red puddle”, “drizzle” or “small toxic spill”.
The Democrats retained control of the Senate and significantly strengthened their position at state level. The Republicans did win the House of Representatives, but the slender majority will limit their freedom of action and force the leadership to waste time and energy cajoling the political arsonists and cultists in their ranks into toeing the
