‘Learing’ a Lesson

By Joseph Catena

Polymarket is 78 percent sure. Nancy Pelosi says it’s definitely going to happen. History agrees with both. So, gear up, America. The Democrats are taking the House in the 2026 midterms.

While Polymarket and history may cause concern for Republicans, who cares what Nancy Pelosi has to say? Unless she offers her advice on the stock market (wink, wink), she can go talk to a wall. If James “Buster” Douglas listened to Nancy, he would have skipped the trip to Tokyo and conceded to Mike Tyson instead of knocking him out in the tenth round and scoring the biggest upset in sports history.

It’s only January, and the midterms are nine and-a-half months away, a political eternity. Moreover, the GOP has much more going for it than the Democrats. Let’s not hand the asylum keys to the looney tunes just yet.

President Trump had an incredible year in 2025, and the Republican House members almost unanimously backed him every step of the way. The cleanup at the border and the One Big Beautiful Bill were the centerpieces of the president’s domestic agenda, and by the time the midterms arrive, there is a great chance that the trillions of investment dollars that were pledged in 2025 will translate into factories, businesses and jobs. Last year also featured lower interest rates, lower than expected inflation (2.7 percent), and last-quarter growth at a mighty 4.3 percent. This year, interest rates are expected to dip further, and tax returns should be fatter.

The president’s foreign policy was unprecedented and beyond incredible. He played a major diplomatic role in stopping eight wars around the globe. His bombing of Iran’s nuclear facility in Operation Midnight Hammer ensured a near death blow to the various terrorist networks that Iran sponsors. Trump has also waged a real war on drugs – far beyond the rhetoric of “Just say no.” The Department of War’s deadly strikes on Venezuelan speed boats carrying massive amounts of drugs saved numerous American lives, despite the insane Left’s insistence that they were harmless fisherman on fishing boats trying to land some fluke or tuna. The capture of evil dictator Nicolas Maduro – the same man whom Joe Biden had a $25 million bounty on – further exhibited the flexing of US strength and the willingness to get to the root of a problem. Remember, Maduro emptied out his jails and let his gangs run amok in the United States, all while funneling money from oil sales to keep them in business. Yet, the Democrats will tell you this was unconstitutional.

Republicans must not only laud Trump’s successes, they must align themselves with them. GOPers must convince voters that what they have been doing has worked and will only get better and the economy is improving. The messages of continued common sense and proven results are imperative. Republicans must also convince voters, a fickle bunch if there ever was one, that affordability crisis was caused by Joe Biden and the Democrats.  Those with short memories need to be reminded that the massive inflation and skyrocketing prices were in existence long before Trump 2.0. America need not revisit the bad old days. Let the truth stand forth: the economy is getting better, and the country, if not the world, is far safer.

Perhaps Poly M. and Nancy P. didn’t examine the midterms as closely as they should have.

There are several other factors – gigantic X factors, that will play into this election. First, Texas will very likely gain five House seats due to redistricting. This will further the GOP lead, or at least hold serve if California negates it with their gerrymandering. Another factor is New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani. Mamdani, the raging socialist is already taking measures to cripple the Big Apple. He has filled his administration with wokesters, communists and antisemites. Those free bus rides he touts, along with free childcare and his willingness to squeeze landlords among his other insane policies spell tragedy. This could be a great boon for GOP congressional candidates running against other demented socialists. They can just point to the mayor as the prototype.

Perhaps Minnesota is the most interesting X factor of all. The $9 billion Somali “learing” center scandal coupled by leadership’s encouragement of violent rebellion against ICE encapsulates what the Democrats are all about in 2026. Do voters really want to keep this going? For every John Fetterman, there are at least 162 Ilhan Omars. Speaking of Omar, one would think if she doesn’t get arrested or deported, she should face some backlash or repercussions for her seedy dealings with corrupt and dangerous Somalis in her district. Logic also says that outgoing Democrat Rep. Angie Craig’s 2^nd district should provide a strong opportunity for whomever the Republican candidate is. Embattled Minnesota, Land of 10,000 Lakes and 9 billion fraud problems for Democrats and the Somali community could also spur the GOP as they reveal how Democrats are so complicit in covering up this boondoggle. Gov. Tim Walz knows it, which is the real reason why he is not seeking reelection.

One thing no one talks about much is the U.S. Senate midterms. Perhaps it’s because not only will the Republicans keep their majority, but they may also actually increase it. Michigan Democrat Gary Peters, a moderate by today’s Democrat standards, is retiring. Rep. Mike Rogers, who lost the 2024 senate race to Elissa Slotkin by a mere 0.3 percent, will be the presumptive Republican nominee, and stands a strong chance of taking that seat. In Georgia, the painfully woke Jon Ossoff, who supports trans-athletes and rampant illegal immigration, among others, will have a battle on his hands. Let’s also not forget New Hampshire, where incumbent Democrat Sen Jeanne Shaheen is not running for reelection. Former Gov. Chris Sununu and former Massachusetts Senator Scotty Brown are the two big names vying for the GOP nomination. Both can be considered live contenders who could pull off the minor upset. And back to Minnesota where incumbent Sen. Tina Smith is retiring, leaving the race wide open with a real chance that the right Republican candidate can flip it, thanks to the horrific fiscal coverups and blatant disregard for federal law enforcement by the Dems.

Truthfully, no one knows how the 2026 midterms will turn out. There is simply too much time in between and too much potential – good and bad – for policies and actions to unfold. Pelosi’s confidence, Polymarket’s reliable record, and of course history, are all going with conventional wisdom and predicting a House flip. However, the Democrats still haven’t “leared” from recent history, as they continue to drift leftward, further than ever.

But things are a bit different this time around. The GOP is quite galvanized, and Donald Trump has and continues to defy history.

So did James “Buster” Douglas.