Trump’s unintended public service may be getting out the vote

Thanks to President Donald Trump, American voters may flock to the polls in record numbers on Nov. 6 for the next congressional midterm elections. He will not be on the ballot in any of the 435 voting districts, but nevertheless a great many Americans will be casting their ballots to express their opinions of him — for or against.

Both major parties have acknowledged that fact. The Democrats hope to wrest control of one or both houses of Congress as a means to slow or halt Mr. Trump's reign at midterm. The Republicans in response seek to keep it on track.

Either way, the outcome may generate life support for a phase of our democratic process that over the years has fallen into public neglect. Voters still flock to presidential elections every four years, but they often skip the midterms, either out of disinterest or lack of knowledge of House and Senate candidates.

These candidates usually are left to their own efforts, and if lucky to party finances, to campaign for themselves. They drum up news media attention by wile or whimsy, to convince voters to turn out for them on Election Day. Longevity in office may breed familiarity, but first-time challengers often face an uphill climb.

Like it or not, the midterms can present the first tangible clue to Mr. Trump's survival in the Oval Office.