Initiative on Catholic Social Thought and Public Life

The year 2014 was an awful one for Washington, with too little leadership from the president and too much obstruction from Congress. I find liturgical litanies comforting, but 2014’s litany of Washington woes was demoralizing. The year was a roll call of crises, anger and sadness: Ferguson, “I can’t breathe,” Veterans Administration scandals, botched executions, failed launch of HealthCare.gov and 45 empty House votes to repeal Obamacare. It brought ISIS beheadings, Boko Haram kidnappings, Ebola outbreaks and bloody conflicts in Gaza, Syria, Ukraine and Africa. The 2014 elections produced agenda-less negative campaigns, record political spending and low voter turnout.

On the day after the midterm elections, pundits who misjudged the Republican wave confidently explained what it meant, Democrats played blame games and Republicans debated whether cooperation or confrontation is the best way forward. The sweeping Republican victory was shaped by history, geography and demography. History teaches that in a president’s sixth year his party suffers significant losses. Geography was crucial since many key contests were in Republican states where President Obama is very unpopular. Demography was decisive since the electorate was smaller, older, whiter and richer than in presidential elections.