Today, the Progressive Policy Institute hosted a panel discussion diving deep into the 2022 midterms, analyzing the political and policy implications of a divided Congress and the messages that moved voters to the polls and delivered a surprisingly strong midterm election for the Democrats. The event featured an all-star lineup of thought leaders and policymakers, including: Congresswoman Cheri Bustos (D-IL); PPI President Will Marshall; Ruy Teixeira, Senior Fellow at the American Enterprise Institute and co-editor of The Liberal Patriot Substack; and Elaine Kamarck, Director of the Center for Effective Public Management at the Brookings Institution.
“The most gratifying part of this outcome for me is that extremism and democracy did matter, contrary to the punidtocracy’s very categorical certitude that nobody in America could look beyond their kitchen table to these esoteric issues, like the state of our democracy. That proved not to be the case,” said Will Marshall, President and Founder of the Progressive Policy Institute during the event. “Certainly abortion — the extreme anti-abortion tribe on the right, was a huge issue. We saw anti-abortion crusaders go down, we saw election deniers and conspiracy theorists go down in flames. It was the cherry on the pie that Donald Trump got the blame for the Republican losses, and he got a presidential rival in Gov. Ron DeSantis. So this split decision turns out to be the best midterm result I’ve seen since 1998.”
The event included thought-provoking discussions on what led voters to the polls — including access to abortion, inflation, crime and protecting our democracy, how the midterm elections will determine the future platform and leadership of the Democratic party, and the challenges the White House will face with a likely divided Congress.
See photos and clips from the event on PPI’s Twitter:
The Progressive Policy Institute (PPI) is a catalyst for policy innovation and political reform based in Washington, D.C. Its mission is to create radically pragmatic ideas for moving America beyond ideological and partisan deadlock. Learn more about PPI by visiting progressivepolicy.org.
Follow PPI on Twitter: @ppi
Find an expert at PPI.
###
Media Contact: Aaron White; awhite@ppionline.org
