In 2021 Elections, Biden Out-Performs Past 30 Years Of First-Year Presidents

In the realm of politics, there are certain patterns that seem to repeat themselves with unwavering consistency. One of these patterns is the outcome of governor's races in Virginia and New Jersey. Every year following a presidential election, the party in power at the White House loses both of these races. It doesn't matter if the president is a Republican or a Democrat, the result remains the same. It's like clockwork, as if it's written in stone.

Let's take a trip down memory lane. In 1989, the first year of George H.W. Bush's presidency, his party lost the governor's race in Virginia and New Jersey. The same thing happened when Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, Barack Obama, and even Donald Trump took office. Last night, it appears that Joe Biden joined the ranks of these presidents who experienced this predictable loss.

Now, you might be thinking, "What's the big deal? It happens every time." And you're right, it does. But here's the twist: Biden's party only lost one of the governor's races. That's right, the Democrats managed to break the pattern in New Jersey. This unexpected turn of events should be cause for celebration, not panic.

The Terrible Polling Problem

While the Democrats should be celebrating their victory in New Jersey, there is one thing that they should perhaps be concerned about: the terrible polling. Once again, the public polling leading up to the elections in Virginia and New Jersey was way off. This has been a recurring problem for several election cycles now, and if the Democrats don't find a way to fix it, their campaigns will continue to be misaligned with the actual outcomes.

Sure, bad polling is something to worry about, but let's not lose sight of the bigger picture here. For the past 30 years, every new president has seen their party lose both the Virginia and New Jersey governorships in their first year. Biden, on the other hand, managed to break this streak by holding onto New Jersey. In fact, the last president who achieved such a feat was the great communicator himself, Ronald Reagan. So, instead of panicking, shouldn't the Democrats be celebrating this accomplishment?

Democrats Beating the Odds

If we take a wider lens and look at how things have been going for the Democrats in high-profile elections since Biden's presidency, there is even more reason to celebrate. In a congressional special election in New Mexico back in June, Republicans saw it as a major opportunity to gain ground. However, the Democrat not only won the seat but did so by a larger margin than expected.

Then, in September, Republicans were buzzing with excitement over their recall effort against the Democratic governor of California. They were confident that they would succeed in ousting him from office. But what happened? The Democratic governor not only survived the recall but won by a similar margin to his initial victory. It was a colossal waste of resources for the Republicans.

And now, in the latest governor's races, Republicans were unable to flip both Virginia and New Jersey as they have done in every first year of a new presidency since the 1980s. They only managed to win in Virginia, while the Democrats held onto New Jersey. Again, this should be seen as a win for the Democrats, not a reason to freak out.

The Rational Perspective

In a rational world, the Democrats should be celebrating their victories and the breaking of long-standing patterns. But alas, that's not how things work in the world of politics. The beltway press and some members of the Democratic party seem to be focused on the negative, painting a picture of doom and destruction. But let's step back and look at the facts.

The Democrats have beaten the odds. They have performed better than any other party in recent history, going all the way back to Reagan. Biden has achieved something that no other president has been able to do since Reagan. This should be a cause for celebration, not panic.

So, my fellow Democrats, let's not get caught up in the hysteria and the fear-mongering. Let's embrace the victories, recognize the progress we have made, and continue to push forward. The road ahead may be challenging, but history has shown us that we are capable of achieving great things. Let's not lose sight of that.