Midterm Election Turns Out To Be A Referendum On President Trump
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PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- His name is not on the ballot, but in this election, President Trump has been everywhere, visiting Pennsylvania twice and many other states in the run-up to the midterm elections.
"I need you to vote for a Republican House and a Republican Senate," the President says at all his stops.
And all this campaigning has political strategists in both parties agreeing on one thing.
"This election is certainly a referendum on President Trump," Republican political strategist Mike DeVanney said.
"There's no doubt that this election is a referendum on Trump. In fact, he's made it all about him," Democratic political strategist Mike Mikus said.
On the stump and in their TV ads, candidates are doing the same.
Both Republicans Lou Barletta and Scott Wagner have repeatedly invoked Trump's name and his words.
Trump appears on camera in a Wagner ad, saying, "He's going to be one helluva governor. He's tough. He's smart. Scott Wagner."
But whether Trump is helping or hurting Republicans is debatable.
Democrat Mikus says, at least in Pennsylvania, Trump hurts his candidates.
"I think it's going to be a very bad night for Republicans as a result," Mikus said.
But Republican DeVanney says it will bring pro-Trump voters to the polls.
"If you're a supporter of the President, for the Republican base, that certainly gins them up, gives them enthusiasm to go to the polls in the congressional election," DeVanney said.
But Mikus says Trump is increasing turn-out for Democrats.
"If you are unhappy with Donald Trump and the direction he is taking our country, you've got to vote Democrat because that's the only way there can be a check on what he's doing in Washington," Mikus said.
Once again, this election has turned out to be a referendum on President Trump because the president wants it that way.
It makes it kind of easy for voters.
If you like what the president has done, you vote Republican.
If you don't, you vote Democratic.
We'll know what the voters decide, coming up, Tuesday night.