WHAT'S ON YOUR MIND
By Scott Hennen
Host of “What’s On Your Mind?” Radio Show heard on KTGO-1090AM and KFYR-550AM
Co-owner of Flag Family Media and the McKenzie County Farmer
A nationwide “Red Wave” for election 2022 did not materialize, but it showed up as a “Red Tsunami” in North Dakota. Inflation is running rampant. Crime is plaguing many parts of the country. The border is far from secure. Yet the pollsters and pundits that predicted huge Republican victories and massive Democrat losses were sadly mistaken. What happened?
I asked my radio audience the day after election day for their explanations. Some suggested Republicans running nationwide didn’t give voters enough explanation of what they are for. I can see a few races needing better messaging to win but that doesn’t explain the wave reverting to a trickle. Some analysis suggests Gen Z turned out in higher than expected numbers and supported Blue candidates over Red. The assumption is the younger the voter, the more likely they vote Blue. Another explanation is that all of the chatter about a “Red wave” for weeks leading up to the election motivated a “Blue wave” of voters.