Midterms were a win for the middle

There are any number of ways to slice the national analysis of last Tuesday’s election. To us, it was a night to be proud of our democracy. That has nothing to do with control of Congress. It has to do instead with what we saw as a rejection of the Big Lie of election denial and former President Donald Trump’s personal grievances.

Not in every case, but in many important statewide votes, people refused to accept candidates who embraced the false narrative of a stolen presidential election.

It was a night when Republicans snatched defeat from the jaws of victory. We believe that is because too many candidates were too far outside the mainstream.

Republicans had a serious advantage going into this electoral season. They won Texas easily but blew it nationally by nominating extreme candidates running in their primaries.

In many areas where Republicans should have competed better, they ended up energising both moderates and the left against them and squandering the wave they predicted.

Whatever energised the electorate, and however the results shake out, it looks like the power of both parties, each with ever more divisive agendas, is now diffused.

We will count that as a win for the middle.