The following articles present different aspects of how and why the mid-term elections in the US are important. These articles deal with the ‘Trumpism’ phenomenon, what to look for on TV while watching the results, the firsts in these midterms and the impact of no-voters.
US midterms: why the world fears ‘Trumpism’ is here to stay – Financial Times
The world outside America is used to staying up all night to watch the US presidential election. The midterm elections, however, are not normally regarded as a global event. But this time is different.
The results of the 2018 midterms will be seen all over the world as a crucial test of whether Donald Trump has permanently changed America. The stakes have not been higher in a generation. If the Republicans do well, then many will conclude that “Trumpism” is here to stay.
The rest of the world would have to make a long-term adjustment to an America that is highly protectionist and suspicious of treaties on principle — whether they deal with climate change, arms control, refugees or migration.
However, if the Democrats prosper on Tuesday night, then the US president’s foreign critics will cling on to the hope that the Trump years may yet turn out to be an aberration — and that the old America is waiting in the wings to return.
Read more from the Financial Times
The firsts of the 2018 midterms: these people may make history – The Guardian
The midterm elections are set to see a series of historic firsts, no matter how each party does. As they vote for women, Native Americans, bisexuals and transgender candidates, Americans are likely to break down a series of societal barriers.
Loaded With Data and Whiz-Bang Effects, Maps Are the Real Stars of Election-Night TV – New York Times
On election nights, maps are the stars of the show. Increasingly a main attraction of CNN, MSNBC and Fox News, the interactive screens, loaded with data and visual effects, bring a sci-fi gloss to cable news and transform granular data into something viewers can actually see. Pioneered by CNN a decade ago, the screens have also made stars of their human minders, the anchors who blend wonk-level knowledge with tap-and-swipe dexterity. Fleet fingers, and a mind for numbers, are essential. The New York Times spoke with three anchors known for their map skills about how they are preparing for Tuesday night, when they will report on the decisions by voters in nearly 500 House and Senate races.
Read more on the New York Times
Will Trump shatter his own mystique? – Politico
The constant of Donald Trump’s ascent to the presidency and his two years in power is how behavior that would be not just risky but downright stupid for any normal politician ends up working smartly for him.
This is the essence of the Trump Mystique—a three-year record in which he regularly demonstrated that many of the normal precedents, patterns and truisms of American politics simply do not apply to him. This mystique—Is it real or illusion? Is his patented sorcery still working?—is among the big questions being tested in Tuesday’s elections.
‘What’s one less?’ Nonvoters could have the biggest say of all. – Washington Post
About half the country’s eligible voters don’t vote — well more than that in most midterms. Yet in a situation such as Tuesday’s election, with the nation divided into relatively equal-size groups of locked-in partisans and control of Congress and some state capitals depending on closely contested races, nonvoters in their own way hold great power. In dozens of battlegrounds, especially in politically essential suburban House districts, it’s the habitual nonvoters who control the margin.
