David Brooks is a putz
The famed "moderate" pundit has lost all objectivity.
David Brooks would like us to believe that Republicans' clear midterm momentum stalled two weeks out because voters decided "Democrats were out of touch but Republicans were out of their minds." That's horse pucky and straight up Democratic state media disinformation. Here's the areas of disputed wackiness:
ELECTION DENIAL:
Democrats invented election denialism. Remember 2000 and 2004? How about 2016 when Hillary Clinton, Democrat leaders, and Democrat media ALL claimed that Donald Trump did not win the election fair and square, but, rather was a “Russian agent” who won only because of Putin’s intervention on his behalf. Then there was Stacey Abrams' denial she lost the 2018 Georgia Governor's race. She just lost again this year, praise the Lord.
Yes, after the Dems circumvented state election law in key swing states, censored the Hunter Biden laptop/Biden family corruption story, blocked Trump on social media, bought election compliance with Zuck Bucks, and gamed the system with ballot harvesting and other hokum, there was justifiable concern from Republicans in 2020 leading many to deny the election results. Not The Crotty, naturally.
So, Republicans have no ownership of election cray-cray, Mr. Brooks. It cuts both ways.
POLITICAL VIOLENCE
The Democrat led, enabled, excused and largely unprosecuted Summer of Insurrection dwarfs in size, scope, violence and destruction whatever happened on January 6. Throw in the Ferguson and Baltimore riots under Obama, the GOP baseball practice attack, the attempted Justice Kavanaugh assassination, and ongoing SCOTUS intimidation, and the Dems have the clear advantage here too, Dave.
Here's the truth: The Dems won the midterms primarily because of the SCOTUS Dobbs decision and the ensuing decision by dumb Senators and Governors to double down on it. Plus the choice of some egregiously bad and alienating candidates courtesy of one Donald J. Trump. They also own the mail-in ballot, get-out-the-vote, and ballot harvesting game.
That's it.
The rest is noise.