In the words of Sarah Palin, the “Democrats got mauled” in Tuesday’s midterm elections.
In her usual fashion, the former Alaska governor and one-time Republican nominee for vice president took to Facebook early Wednesday morning to thank “wise voters” for their overwhelming support of Republican candidates, which led to the GOP takeover of both houses of Congress.
“Your message to President Obama is undeniably received, though he’ll try to ignore it,” she wrote in her Facebook post, adding that Americans voted against “the continued dysfunction and corruption” in government, rather than for a particular political party. “The Democrats got mauled today, deservedly so.”
Republicans, who gained more than the six seats needed for control of the Senate, on Tuesday seized power of both houses for the first time in eight years. Joni Ernst’s late-night Senate victory over Democratic U.S. Rep. Bruce Braley marked the transition of the upper chamber.
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Three major factors influenced voters’ decisions, according to the NBC News national exit poll: President Barack Obama’s low approval ratings, a strong anti-government streak among many voters, and frustration with the economy.
“We the People were saying, ‘enough is enough’ to the scandals, crony capitalism, and utter lack of leadership in Washington,” Palin wrote.
Earlier this year, Palin deemed Ernst the right “Mama Grizzly” for the job. She also supportedtwo dozen other Republicans, including House candidate Barry Loudermilk of Georgia, Senate candidate Tim Scott of South Carolina, Greg Abbott of the Texas governor’s race, and Republican-turned-independent Bill Walker of the Alaska gubernatorial race.
Palin remains a mainstay speaker and pundit for the far right. She recently said she was heartened and motivated by Americans who don’t like her, and she hinted at a potential run for president in 2016 by saying she “hopefully” will run for office “in the future.” Palin resigned as governor in 2009 with 18 months remaining in her term, and three years later declined to run for commander-in-chief.
On Wednesday, she posted a video to her online, subscription-based TV channel, SarahPalinChannel.com, that features images of leaders she says aren’t afraid of fighting for America.
“So stand up and stiffen your spine,” Palin is heard saying in the video. “The best is yet to come.”
Michele Richinick