There were two special elections in North Carolina for seats in the House of Representatives. The first was to replace the late Walter Jones (R), and resulted in the Republicans retaining the seat in a convincing victory, roughly in line with previous Republican victories.
The second special election was also a victory for the Republicans in NC-9, but this was something of a nail-biter as Republican Dan Bishop beat Dan McCready by only 2 percentage points. This special election was compelled when the NC Election Board refused, unanimously, to certify the election, due to apparent election skullduggery.
Typically, Republican victories in NC-9 are quite a bit larger, although one must account for normal incumbency advantages; in 2018, the incumbent, Robert Pittenger, had been defeated in the GOP primary by Mark Harris, who saw his victory set aside by the Election Board and refused to run again.
However, we can balance that with the fact that President Trump came to North Carolina and held a rally for Bishop. For all that this is typically a strongly Republican district, and Trump came to rally the base, Bishop won by only two points.
I’m tempted to add this to the latest Gallup Presidential Approval poll results, which are certainly not encouraging for Trump. However, without more evidence of a downward slide, it’s an overreach to proclaim that Trump’s popularity is in permanent decline. I think he’s dying of a thousand cuts, as the electorate has discovered that running the country based on appearances, with little regard for the meat and potatoes, results in emotional fatigue and general disfavor.
But Trump has awakened the moral warriors of both the left and the right. By this I don’t mean the cultural warriors of the last three or four decades, who cry out about abortion, sexuality, and other matters, with the purpose of using them to manipulate voters. Rather, I’m talking about folks such as Warren on the left and Sanford on the right, people who may have strong principles, but also recall that governance is a serious matter in which compromise is often an honorable procedure, not a surrender to an enemy.
This awakening, the shining of light into the dank corners of both Parties in search of those who are self-dealing and unserious about governance, may be the most important result of Trump’s time in office. His ghastly depiction of how corruption doesn’t serve the interests of the nation is an important part of the national story.
