2018 Midterms – The D.C Bubble Cup

The 2018 midterm elections this week were a mixed bag, with both major parties winning key races and big prizes. The Democrat party won the House of Representatives, and the Republicans expanded their majority in the Senate. This result was not a surprise. In fact, it was widely predicted by many political pundits for some time now.

So what does this mean for the country at large? Probably not a whole lot. While the political class will celebrate and gloat for a while, the American people will be looking for results. However, don’t hold your breath waiting to see how this election improves your life. It likely won’t. But it should, you deserve it.

What we will get is what I’ll call the “D.C Bubble Cup.”

The “D.C Bubble Cup” is a sort of intermural softball game, where all that matters is beating the other side. One party will spend all their energy on investigations and issuing subpoenas, while the other side spends its time playing defense. This game might be interesting for the political class in D.C, but it won’t improve the daily lives of middle-class families in Cleveland.

What this new bipartisan Congress should care about is going to bat for everyday Americans. A middle-class family in Cleveland wants affordable health care, safe streets and an economy that works for them. Not too much, just a good, well paying job that allows them to raise their family, put food on the table and take a trip to Disneyland every once in awhile. This is not a lot to ask of the people we send to Washington. We send people to Congress to do the business of everyday Americans, not to play silly political games on our tax dollars.

So let’s put the bats down and get to work. Let’s improve our infrastructure so folks can go to work without sitting on crowded freeways. Even better, let’s build a more efficient public transportation system. Let’s work with police departments to give them the resources they need to make our communities safer. We shouldn’t have to worry about our kids getting to and home from school safely. And, while we are at it, let’s make sure those schools provide our kids with a good education. They all have dreams too so let’s give them the tools needed to accomplish their goals.

Let’s protect our borders and national security, while also welcoming new members into our communities that want to come here and live “the American dream.” Yes, both of these things can be done at the same time.

So, let’s end this battle for the pointless “D.C Bubble Cup” and get to work on the issues everyday American care about. Congress, you just might be surprised at what we can accomplish if we all work together. Amazing technological advances, life-saving medical breakthroughs, award-winning pieces of literature. And, who knows, maybe some of our kids will go on to take your job in Congress. But, don’t worry, they will be smart and compassionate enough to make sure you can well afford to live comfortably in retirement.

Now’s the time to put the bats down and end this battle for the “D.C Bubble Cup.” None of us care about that. In fact, we think it’s stupid.