| | | | Yes, 2018 was a massive Democratic wave! Here's proof. |  | | In some corners of the political internet, there are still some making the case that the 2018 election was not, in fact, a Democratic wave. They cite Republicans picking up two Senate seats and historical comparisons that suggest that Republican House losses weren't all that bad.
Here's the thing: Facts are facts. And all of the facts make plain that 2018 was not only a Democratic wave, but a massive and historic one.
Most people, understandably, focus on the number of House seats that changed hands to judge a wave. At the moment, Democrats have netted 38 seats, with one other (GOP Rep. David Valadao's 21st district in California, which has grown increasingly close since Election Day and now looks potentially problematic for Republicans.) A 38-seat loss is the third-largest change of seats in the post-Watergate era -- eclipsed only by the 54 seats Republicans gained in 1994 and the 63 they won in 2010.
But go deeper into the numbers and the actual size of the wave becomes even more clear. Thanks to the herculean effort of the Cook Political Report's David Wasserman, we can dive deep into the total number of votes cast for Democrats and Republicans in House races across the country.
And here they are:
Democrats: 59,525,244 (53.2% of total popular vote)
Republicans: 50,516,570 (45.1%)
The raw vote margin, which is slightly over 9 million, is the largest gap between the two parties in the history of midterms, according to Wasserman. And the 8.1% spread between Democrats and Republicans is, according to Princeton professor Sam Wang, a larger percentage-point differential than in any recent wave midterm election including 1994 (R+7.1%), 2006 (D+8.0%), 2010 (R+7.2%) and 2014 (R+5.7%)
Given those raw vote numbers, you might be wondering why House Democrats didn't pick up even more seats earlier this month. And the answer, in a word, is redistricting. Remember that Republicans controlled a huge number of state legislatures and governor's mansions following their 2010 wave. That control meant the GOP got to draw the congressional lines in lots and lots of states, creating House districts that they believed would make it impossible for them to lose their House majority in the next decade. It took eight of those 10 years for Democrats to seize control, but there's no question that the soon-to-be-majority party's gains would have been far larger if not for the lines drawn by their GOP colleagues eight years ago.
The Point: The 2018 election was not only a Democratic wave. It was one of historical proportions. The end.
-- Chris | | "If it turns out that I am the best candidate to beat Donald Trump, then I will probably run."
-- Sen. Bernie Sanders on his potential presidential campaign reprise in 2020 to New York Magazine. | | | President Donald Trump held two campaign rallies in Mississippi today on the eve of the final election of 2018: The state's runoff for US Senate.
The race has been riddled with controversies, including a recent photo that surfaced of Cindy Hyde-Smith posing with Confederate artifacts. Her Democratic opponent, Mike Espy, could make history as the state's first African-American elected to the Senate since the Reconstruction era.
Republican outside groups have spent heavily in the race, dropping nearly $4 million to Democrats' $1.2 million, according to CNN's David Wright.
Despite that, CNN's Harry Enten says Hyde-Smith is still favored to win. | | Meet California's "First Partner"
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The artist behind the "Great British Baking Show"
The New York Times just released their list of the 100 most notable books of 2018
I had a similar reaction to Rob Harvilla after watching "Ralph Breaks the Internet" with my kids | | | 'Tis the season! So have yourself a merry little Christmas with Phoebe Bridgers. | | ELECTION RESULTS STILL TRICKLING IN... | | And Republican Rep. Mia Love, who President Trump once said "gave me no love," has officially conceded to Democrat Ben McAdams.
Love struck back at Trump in her concession speech, saying his "jab" at her following the election surprised her but gave her a "clear vision on his world as it is. No real relationships, just convenient transactions."
Love's UT-4 loss further solidifies Democratic gains in the House -- bringing their net pickup to 38 seats. | |
AND YOU THOUGHT YOUR MONDAY WAS ROUGH | |  | George Papadopoulos reported to federal prison camp in Wisconsin today to serve a 14-day sentence.
Papadopoulos pleaded guilty in the Russia probe in a deal in which he admitted to lying to the FBI about his contact with the Russians while working for the Trump campaign.
Papadopoulos's former lawyer called him the "first domino" in the Mueller investigation. Once he's out of prison, Papadopoulos will be on probation for one year, pay a $9,500 fine and participate in community service. | |
IT'S BEGINNING TO LOOK A LOT LIKE... | |  | First lady Melania Trump has unveiled the White House's Christmas decorations!
This year's theme centers around patriotism, with imagery from cities around the country, red trees and ornaments saying "Be Best," the first lady's awareness campaign against cyberbullying. | | | | | | |
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