A year ago, pundits declared Georgia's Jon Ossoff the senator most likely to lose his seat. On Tuesday, he won decisively. National Republicans had largely conceded the race months ago. The Associated Press announced his victory shortly after the polls closed. Mr. Ossoff won so decisively, in part, because he articulated a message that connected Democrats' fear of authoritarianism to the broader public's fear that life is unaffordable. It could prove central for the party again in 2028. And it boils down to one word: corruption.
Donald Trump's shameless self-dealing made Mr. Ossoff's argument easier. Since returning to the White House, according to news reports, Mr. Trump has made more than $1 billion from his family's cryptocurrency businesses alone. Americans of both parties have noticed. A Washington Post poll last month found that one-third of Republicans and independents who lean Republican now believe Mr. Trump is enriching himself in office, while a Fox News poll ranked corruption as voters' top concern nationally.
Mr. Ossoff courted Republicans by speaking in bipartisan terms: He acknowledged that Mr. Trump didn't invent political corruption. 'Yes, the system really is rigged,' he said. 'But he's not unrigging it. He is re-rigging it for himself.'
Of course, it helped that Georgia Republicans chose a weak nominee. But Mr. Ossoff also spoke differently from the Democrats who challenged Mr. Trump two years ago. Authoritarianism was a central theme of Kamala Harris's failed presidential campaign; public graft fell further down her list of concerns. That cost her. Exit polls found that Ms. Harris won 80 percent of voters who called democracy their most important issue, while 81 percent of voters who prioritized the economy backed Mr. Trump.
By stressing corruption, in contrast, Mr. Ossoff made Mr. Trump's assault on the rule of law tangible. He showed voters how democracy and economic distress are intertwined. On the campaign trail, he argued that 'corruption is why nothing works for ordinary people. It's why you pay a fortune for prescriptions. It's why your insurance company gets away with denying your cancer treatment after you paid your premiums for decades.' In this way, he showed that the president wasn't just transgressing abstract norms of good governance. He was helping the rich and powerful rip Americans off.
Source: New York Times Top Stories · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing