Blue wave? Or maybe a goodbye wave to politics as usual?
Scottsdale author: Both parties need to change if they want to win in 2028
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Joe Smyth
Submitted photo/Joe Smyth
Americans are dissatisfied with both major parties. They are tired of political extremism, special-interest influence, endless partisan warfare and politicians who seem more interested in getting reelected than getting things done. They want responsible government, common sense and leaders who can work together. They want a government that serves the people, not the politicians.”
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OPINION — Was the 2026 midterm election really a “blue wave” or was it another wave of disgust with politics as usual?
The real winners in 2026 may have been independent-minded voters. Nearly half of Americans now identify as political independents, considerably more than identify as Democrats or Republicans. Some may lean one way or the other, but neither party can afford to take these voters for granted.
Consider the past decade. In 2016, voters didn’t want four more years of Obama-Clinton, so they settled for Trump. In 2020, they didn’t want four more years of Trump, so Biden seemed the only realistic alternative. In 2024, they didn't want four more years of Biden-Harris, so Trump won again. And in 2026, voters were fed up with Trump, so Democrats benefited from another protest vote.
Four elections. Four rejections of whichever party is in office. Voters may be more united than we think. They are consistently throwing the rascals out.
And why not? Instead of solving problems, both parties spend their time fighting one another and courting big donors to their next reelection campaign. Their reckless spending and the growing national debt are unsustainable.
The lesson should be obvious. Recent election results have been driven by dissatisfaction with whichever party holds office. Neither party has as sustainable mandate. Appealing to their base isn’t enough. They need to focus on the new majority in American politics — independent-minded voters.
In the next two years, will either party make the changes that are needed? And if neither does, what will happen in the 2028 presidential election?
Left or center for Democrats?
Democrats should be careful about interpreting their 2026 victories as a mandate for a more liberal agenda.
It was mostly moderate Democrats who scored the big upsets, even in Republican-leaning districts. They did it by appealing to swing voters, not just the Democratic base. Some far-left candidates were also swept into office, but mostly by narrower margins and in Democratic-leaning districts.
Democrats need candidates who can appeal to voters concerned about government spending, public safety, economic opportunity, and other practical issues — not just the priorities of the party’s most liberal activists.
They need to move toward the center because that’s where most independent voters are. If Democrats move further left, they may find themselves being voted out in 2028.
Trump-first Republicans?
Republicans have an even bigger problem. His name is Donald Trump.
In transforming the Republican Party in Arizona and nationally, he drove away many traditional conservative and moderate Republicans. It was no longer enough to believe in limited government, fiscal responsibility, personal integrity, and respect for the rule of law. Loyalty to Mr. Trump was all that mattered.
By 2026, most voters had decided that his second term wasn’t about making America great again. It was about enriching his family and friends, increasing his personal power by weaponizing federal agencies, ignoring Congress, governing by executive order, using delay tactics to avoid constitutional restraints. And through the past two years of chaos, voters didn’t see many Republicans showing the courage to stand up to him.
If Republicans can’t put Trump behind them and rebuild a party that can attract independent-minded Americans, their chances of a rebound in 2028 are slim.
Problem Solvers Congress?
The next two years will be an important test.
Even with Democrats controlling both chambers, they shouldn’t assume that voters have given them a blank check. They’ll still have to deal with a Republican in the White House.
So, will Congress give us more partisan warfare and get nothing done? Or will it avoid presidential vetoes by passing legislation that has broad popular support among independent-minded voters?
Remember No Labels? That group attempted to offer an alternative to Biden-Harris and Trump-Vance in 2024. The effort failed because they lacked the ballot access and financial resources needed to attract a strong presidential ticket.
But No Labels had earlier helped organize the bipartisan Problem Solvers Caucus in Congress, which brings together Democrats and Republicans who are willing to work across party lines. And that group is still thriving.
The real opportunity now may be for the Problem Solvers Caucus and newly elected moderates to build bipartisan coalitions. If they do, they could realistically hold the balance of power on many critical issues in 2027-28.
If so, Congress could finally begin addressing the nation’s mounting debt, dysfunctional immigration system, health care costs, and other problems that neither party has been willing or able to solve?
It would be a welcome change. But it will require something rare in Washington: elected officials willing to put the country ahead of their political careers.
The 2028 election
If you thought 2026 was a consequential election, just wait until 2028.
If the two major parties waste the next two years — and if they then nominate 2028 presidential tickets that appeal primarily to their most partisan supporters, millions of voters will be looking for an alternative?
That’s where the upstart Forward Party could become an intriguing possibility. The party was launched in 2021 by former Democrat Andrew Yang (who ran for president in 2020), and former Republican Christine Todd Whitman (previously governor of New Jersey).
A credible national political party can't be built overnight, especially when election laws favor the two established parties. But under the leadership of CEO Lindsey Williams Drath and Executive Chair Kerry Healey, the Forward Party has been working to build the kind of political infrastructure that No Labels lacked in 2024.
They’ve quietly been doing it from the grassroots up --- building state organizations, supporting candidates for state and local offices, and attracting Americans who are tired of the two-party system. Their slogan says it all: “Not Left. Not Right. Forward.”
Could the Forward Party field a serious presidential ticket in 2028? It’s too early to tell.
But consider the potential opportunity. Americans are dissatisfied with both major parties. They are tired of political extremism, special-interest influence, endless partisan warfare and politicians who seem more interested in getting reelected than getting things done. They want responsible government, common sense and leaders who can work together. They want a government that serves the people, not the politicians.
Democrats may think they rode a blue wave to victory in 2026, and Republicans may dismiss it as another temporary setback. Both could be making a serious mistake if they give us two more years of gridlock.
If neither party is able to change, 2028 could be the year when Americans will finally have a credible alternative.
Joe Smyth is a retired journalist and former CEO of Independent Newsmedia, and the author of “Fixing America’s Broken Politics.” The opinions expressed here are his own. Please submit comments at yourvalley.net/letters or email them to azopinions@iniusa.org. We are committed to publishing a wide variety of reader opinions, as long as they meet our Civility Guidelines.
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