The author says former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi held that Democrats win elections only by focusing on 'kitchen table issues' such as healthcare, jobs and the cost of living, while Republicans lean on broader appeals to security and 'law and order'. Reviewing elections since 1980, the piece argues that recessions, the Iraq war and Social Security privatization often shaped outcomes, as in the Democrats' big 2006 midterm win. It adds that the Affordable Care Act was largely responsible for the Democrats' 2010 midterm defeat. The author also suggests that inflation during Joe Biden's presidency, combined with the pandemic, helped return Donald Trump to the White House.
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