As polls and pundits had predicted, Democrats will take over the U.S. House of Representatives. Also as predicted, Republicans strengthened their hold on the U.S. Senate. 

Trump spins this as a great Republican victory. The Senate map for Democrats was the most difficult in recent history. They lost seats in North Dakota, Missouri, Indiana and Florida, but flipped two in Arizona and Nevada for a net loss of only two. It could have been much worse.

Overlooked and under-reported by the electronic media nitwits are important Democratic victories in Michigan, Iowa and Wisconsin; states that usually come through for Democrats in presidential elections but were instrumental in Trump’s 2016 victory. Michigan and Wisconsin replaced Republican governors with Democrats. This is crucial to keep Republicans from further gerrymandering these states in the decennial 2020 redistricting exercise.

Michigan and Iowa replaced several Republican congressmen with Democrats. Typical of the ignorance of Washington pundits, writing off Iowa by one of the “experts” on Sunday’s Meet the Press — too rural, too white and short on college graduates. He either didn’t know that Iowa Democrats flipped two formerly Republican congressional seats to hold three of its four, or simply, like many east coast pundits, sees the Midwest as flyover country that is hopelessly Republican. 

Democratic victories in the Great Lakes states were overshadowed by dramatic races in Florida and Georgia. Even Texas, normally considered a Republican lock, was rocked by the charismatic congressman from the West Texas town of El Paso. Beto O’Rourke, the total opposite of the negative and unlikeable incumbent, Senator Ted Cruz, ran an energetic, positive campaign. 

But Cruz won. Pundits have long held Texas to be trending more Democratic. Will Texas ever turn blue? Maybe sooner than Florida will ever run a clean election.

Although Trump claims victory — when has he not — Democrats can claim victory with the U.S. House, and impressive victories across the nation. So, now what?

Rooting for the Democrats is like rooting for the Green Bay Packers. They can be counted on to find a way to lose. They win only when their opponents screw up even worse. The Republicans did it this time. The Republican Party is Trump’s Party, lock, stock and barrel. Refusal of the obsequious, obedient congressional Republicans to stand up to the narcissistic strong man in the White House turned a large enough portion of American voters against the Republicans to result in key Democratic victories. 

With Democratic victories, the stage is now set for the mainstream media nitwits to cooperate with Republicans to paint Democrats as a bunch of left-wing radicals, and to magnify internal party differences way out of proportion. It’s not that the media are necessarily Republican. Nor are they liberal, as the right wing insists. The media thrive on drama and we usually can count on the Democrats to cooperate and shoot themselves in the foot.

We are already seeing this in the House Speaker race. “How on earth,” repeat the media clones, “can a Democrat who promised to vote against Nancy Pelosi go back on their promise?” 

It’s not all that complicated. Those who promised to vote against her can still vote against her in the caucus. As long as she gets the speakership — she probably will — she understands that if it took a promise not to support her to get elected, there will be some votes against her. No problem, there is still plenty of largesse to go around in the form of other leadership positions and committee assignments. 

Republicans will demonize whoever is elected Speaker. Quickly elect the speaker, and move on. 

The electronic media nitwits are filling air time by wondering how Democrats can pass legislation with Trump in the White House and recalcitrant Republicans controlling the Senate. Sure, with Trump and the Republican Senate, what Democrats can accomplish legislatively is limited. Nevertheless, there are significant opportunities.

Again, it’s not that complicated. Start with what is already agreed upon by all Democrats and most Republicans, namely criminal justice reform. It is inhumane and ineffective to lock up for decades those with non-violent offenses. Don’t worry if Trump claims this as victory — sentencing reform would be a victory for the nation. There is enough credit to go around. Just get it done.

Next, recognizing that Trump can turn on a dime and has no loyalty to even his own Republicans, concentrate on what Trump claims to support — infrastructure, defending and enhancing Social Security and Medicare, and real tax cuts for the Middle Class. 

If Trump truly believes in these objectives, collaborate with him in drafting legislation, and send it to the Republican Senate. Either Trump browbeats his Republican lackeys into forwarding it to him for signature or the Democrats use Republican recalcitrance to drive a wedge between Trump and the Republican senators large enough to drive a truck through. 

Democrats who got elected on health care issues need to immediately draft legislation and call the Republican bluff that they insist on insurance companies covering pre-existing conditions.

Democrats need to avoid two other media traps. Are they intent on passing legislation or using their new power to investigate the Trump Administration? That’s a false choice. While there are legislative priorities that can be accomplished, it’s time to use constitutionally authorized checks and balances to check the excesses of Trump. Notwithstanding possible results of the Mueller investigation, the corruption and malfeasance of the Trump administration is in plain sight and needs to be stopped. 

The media nitwits are haranguing Democrats on another question: are you going to concentrate on “identity politics,” focusing on Hispanics, African Americans and minorities, or attempt to regain white working class voters who went for Trump? That’s another false choice, another media trap to avoid. The task is to address income inequality and increase economic opportunity for all, regardless of identity.

Democrats now have some power. It’s up to them to use it wisely — and avoid traps awaiting them.

— John Waelti of Monroe, a retired professor of economics, can be reached at jjwaelti1@tds.net. His column appears Saturdays in the Monroe Times.