This was ‘a warning about deeper changes in America’s political and cultural landscape’

Summarized by Jennifer Rae Vliet, News Editor of The Plain Truth
Original commentary by Jerry Rogers, Real Clear Wire, via WND
Jerry Rogers argues that Republican losses in the 2026 midterms point to deeper changes in American politics and culture. In his view, the breadth of those losses should prompt Republicans to ask what has changed in the country they seek to govern.
Why the 2026 midterms concern Rogers
Rogers points to Democratic gains in races for Congress, governorships, and state legislatures. He also notes gains in states Republicans had considered safe. Candidate quality and local conditions may explain some defeats, he writes. However, he argues that those factors leave the broader pattern unexplained.
The case Rogers wants Republicans to make
Rogers sees three trends behind his warning. He argues that Americans increasingly distrust civic institutions, know less about the country’s history and founding principles, and rely more on government.
For that reason, he wants Republicans to make a renewed case for American exceptionalism, limited government, and individual responsibility. In his view, how the party makes that case could have consequences well beyond the 2026 midterms.
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