Readers React: It isn’t a ‘blue wave’ when Senate Republicans will have more power to do lasting damage

To the editor: I know the members of the Times Editorial Board are very smart, and most of the time I agree with them. But no matter how many seats the Democrats will have in the House, I don’t understand how this midterm election can be called a “blue wave” — maybe a “teal ripple” better describes it.

The Democrats will have fewer seats in the Senate. It is unlikely that any meaningful legislation will be passed in the next two years of gridlock, recriminations, name-calling and more in the House. But in the Senate, the Republicans will use their ability to name judges and justices without having to care about the Democrats or the opinions of moderates such as Susan Collins of Maine or Lisa Murkowski of Alaska.

This will cause major damage to our country for a generation or more to come. I would not call this a blue wave.

Victor G. Etttinger, Laguna Woods

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To the editor: For President Trump to proclaim a smashing success — largely attributable to himself, of course — betrays his ignorance of what actually happened. In the House, with all 435 seats up for grabs, the GOP emerged with about 45% of the total.

In the Senate, with Democrats defending 26 of the 35 seats up for election, the GOP could have wound up with a super-majority. Instead, it appears that the GOP will emerge having won about one-third of the seats that were up for a vote.

That’s a huge victory? If so, one can hardly imagine his self-aggrandizing proclamations to be issued mid-2020 — assuming Trump survives any possible attempt to impeach him and perhaps even the GOP primary.

Edward Alston, Santa Maria

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To the editor: OK, Democrats, congratulations on taking the House. Now, can you move on from the Trump Derangement Syndrome that has bedeviled you for the last two years?

Now’s your chance to show the country what you can do by actually passing legislation, not constantly complaining about Trump.

Please, put up or — well, you know the rest.

Fritz Walden, Orange

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