Midterms not about Barack but ‘the Benjamins’

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So the proverbial “fat lady” sang and on balance I don’t think the president did too badly. The Democrats in the Congress, well they didn’t have a great night, but the president still has two years to right the ship of state and win a second term.

Yes, the Republicans won control of the House of Representatives by gaining 60+ seats, and the Democrats lost some big seats in the U.S. Senate (i.e., Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, Arkansas) but all of the prognosticators and predictors of doom, well, they kind of missed the mark in my opinion.

Historical data shows us very clearly, that losing seats in the mid-terms is pretty common. Combine that with a terrible economy, high-unemployment, record home foreclosures, a near Wall Street crash and an angry American electorate, and you get a midterm result that has the House now in GOP hands and the Senate barely in Democratic hands by a slim margin.

WATCH TOM BROKAW REFLECT ON BARACK OBAMA AND THE MIDTERMS:
[MSNBCMSN video=”http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/32545640″ w=”592″ h=”346″ launch_id=”39977683″ id=”msnbc5aca49″]

Neither Bill Clinton, George Bush, nor Ronald Reagan faced such a “perfect storm” of daunting economic circumstances during their first terms in office (or at their first midterms). President Clinton in 1994 saw the Democratic House majority slip away (in a huge wipe-out) for the first time in 40 years, and Bush saw the GOP Congress change hands in 2006. Now comes Barack Obama and he too has now lost control of the House of Representatives during his first mid-terms.

Which leads me to ask the question: what was this election all about anyway?

Some say it was the revenge of the disenfranchised angry out of work blue collar and middle class. Others say it was fueled by “code language” and the rise of the Tea Party as a push back to America electing a black president. Others still said it was simply the American people having had enough of the political shenanigans in Washington, and they wanted to throw the bums out. But, many said this election was a clear referendum on President Obama. I disagree. I just don’t think it is that simple my fellow Americans. Let me explain.

The exit polling data tells the true story and according to a CBS Election Day poll more than 62 percent of voters cited the economy as the most important issue right now. As many as 88 percent said the economy is in bad shape, while more than 86 percent are worried about the direction the economy will take in the next year. Four in 10 voters said they are worse off financially than they were two years ago. Just 35 percent say the country is headed in the right direction, and 62 percent said it is on the wrong track.Ooops there it is folks. The president and the Democrats erred in that they took their eye off the ball, and they believed that their victory in 2008 gave them a mandate for more government spending, and increasing the deficits to offset a very distressed U.S. economy that was bordering on a second Great Depression. But the president’s likability numbers are higher as compared with his job approval which as of now sits at about 47 percent.

So be clear this election was not about socialism, a president who was illegitmate, or who was black, or any of the other nonsense we have heard spewed in the last two years. In the final analysis, this election was about one thing: the poor U.S. economy. Or as Bill Clinton’s 1992 campaign manager James Carville would say, “it’s the economy, stupid.”

The American people felt that Washington in particular was completely tone deaf on issues of fiscal responsibility and job creation. Thus the Republicans had such great success at the Congressional level — the lower body closest to “We the People” and up for election every two years. Unlike the Senate where the Democrats survived (albeit barely).

One thing I would offer to the president if I could: The polls all show something else that you should not miss. The polls show that people want you to change course. They want to know that you are focused on making the American standard of living the best in the world. They want to know that you are working tirelessly for jobs, good jobs, with benefits and growth potential here at home.

Mr. President, this election was not about you personally, regardless of what some may say. This election was about a fearful electorate, that worry they will not be able to leave their own children better off then themselves. America is in decline and we all feel it. It is scary. You now have two years to make some economic progress, bring this country together, and bring to bear the hope and change that many voted for in 2008.

Sophia Nelson is a JET Magazine columnist, theGrio contributor and author of the forthcoming book “Black Woman Redefined: Dispelling the Myths and Discovering Love & Fulfillment in the Age of Michelle Obama” (May 2011)