Exit polling from recent elections in New Jersey, Virginia, and New York demonstrates that affordability and the economy were on the ballot, and it cost Republicans.
Taxes and the overall economy were the top issues in New Jersey, the economy and healthcare in Virginia, and cost of living and crime in New York City. (See: Economy Dominated Other Issues in 2025 Elections, Poll Finds | AP News)
It's no secret that many in the mainstream media are not fans of President Donald Trump, and there is evidence that many of these outlets are blaming him for these losses.
Although introspection by Republicans in the aftermath of these elections is warranted there were other forces at work that make the mainstream media explanation too simplistic.
It's important to understand that Democrats were expected to win all these races.
Afte rall, the areas in which these elections occurred all have a history of being solid blue.
When you add this to the fact that the party in power in Washington often faces headwinds in off-year elections, it would have been somewhat unique if Republicans were to have had a good night.
The margin of the losses, more than the losses themselves, is the main factor that should cause Republicans to do some soul searching about what to do as they head into next year's midterms.
Vice President J.D. Vance released a statement the day following recent elections illustrative of his understanding that some correction is needed.
While saying it's not time to panic, Vance observed that Republicans need to make some adjustments.
He said Republicans have a unique voter coalition, and they must motivate this coalition by getting back to the basics of focusing on issues such as the economy, cost of living, and lower inflation that improve the lives of everyday Americans.
"We are going to keep on working to make a decent life affordable in this country, and that’s the metric by which we'll ultimately be judged in 2026 and beyond."( More here: JD Vance Warns Against Election Overreaction, But Calls Out 3 Things That Need to Change)
Vice President Vance's assessment is absolutely correct that Republicans must be viewed as working to improve issues such as affordability and opportunity moving forward, or they will suffer the consequences at the ballot box.
Additionally, they must also do a better job of constantly communicating the steps they are taking to improve the lives of everyday Americans.
There is an old saying that "People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care." If you look at current polls of Congress, it is quite obvious that most people don't currently place much trust in either Democrats or Republicans.
In short, people believe that members of Congress are more concerned with maintaining their own power than they are in improving the lives of average people.
Based on thousands of conversations this writer has had with people on Social Security I can state without hesitation that this is true of them.
They are aware that the main Social Security Trust Fund is set to run out of money in the 2032-2033 timeframe, and they don't understand why nothing is being done to address this situation. They know that current projections show that beneficiaries would see at least a 23% cut in benefits at that time if the trust fund is depleted. (Read more here: How Social Security Trust Fund Depletion Could Slash Benefits by 2032, Social Security Administration releases new trust fund depletion dates)
When I talk to Social Security beneficiaries about this, they convey emotions ranging from
fear to outright anger that nothing is being done to address this situation.
It doesn't take a rocket scientist to understand that people will either vote for candidates (and a party) that they believe are working to make their lives better, or they will vote to punish those they believe are not.
As the party that currently controls Washington, Republicans have an opportunity to do something that's the right thing to do and has the potential to be a good political move.
They can encourage President Trump to immediately appoint a bipartisan commission to make recommendations to fix Social Security, much like President Reagan did in the early 1980s.
The Reagan commission made recommendations that were adopted by Congress and ultimately extended the solvency of Social Security for over half a century.
There are roughly 70 million people collecting Social Security today. These are people who don't believe anyone, whether Democrat or Republican, is currently standing up for them when it comes to solidifying the future of Social Security.
Congressional Republicans should demonstrate that they care about these folks by making the case to President Trump that now is the right time to appoint a Reagan-style commission to fix Social Security. (For critical numbers concerning Social Security, please review: Monthly Statistical Snapshot, August 2025)
For more information, please visit www.JoeFromTexas.com.
Joe from Texas is a family man with children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren. He's experienced tremendous success and lived the American Dream. His beliefs are both straightforward and deeply held. He believes in God, his family, and the United States of America. Read Joe Penland's Reports — More Here.
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