Mike Gibbons sat out the presidential election two years ago, frustrated that Democrat Kamala Harris did not take a stronger stand against Israel’s war in Gaza and unable to bring himself to cast a vote for Republican Donald Trump.
asserted
Harris → sit → Trump
The 33-year-old restaurant server in this eastern Pennsylvania town that once housed one of the world’s largest steelmakers is eager to vote for any Democrat he can in November.
asserted
he → house → November
As the war with Iran that Trump initially said would last weeks surpasses six months on Friday, Gibbons is feeling the fallout every time he fills his tank at nearly $1 per gallon more than last year.
asserted
he → say → year
“The price of gas affects the price of everything and the price of everything’s up and my pay hasn’t gone up,” he said.
asserted
he → affect → everything
“I’m doing blue no matter who this time.”
asserted
I → do → blue
The Iran war has reshaped the rapidly approaching midterm elections, undermining Trump’s campaign pledge to steer clear of foreign conflicts and challenging Republicans who would rather focus on their tax cuts as they cling to narrow majorities in Congress.
asserted
they → reshape → Congress
While the president’s supporters are undeterred, the war’s unpopularity and economic ripple effects could tilt the scales in tightly contested U.S. House districts like the one in Bethlehem, where Republican Rep. Ryan Mackenzie is one of this year’s most vulnerable incumbents.
uncertain
Mackenzie → tilt → incumbents
But interviews with voters around the country show how a war that Trump expected to end with a swift victory could undermine the final years of his presidency.
uncertain
Trump → show → presidency
Many US adults say the war has not been worth fighting
About two-thirds of U.S. adults say the war with Iran has not been worth fighting, according to a July poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research.
uncertain
war → say → Research
That includes the vast majority of Democrats and independents, as well as more than one-third of Republicans.
asserted
That → include → Republicans
Although Trump has long criticized Iran’s leadership, he did little to prepare Americans or allies for such a lengthy conflict.
asserted
he → criticize → conflict
Republican President George W. Bush, for instance, spent more than a year making a case for launching a war in Iraq through speeches and attempts to build an international coalition.
asserted
Bush → spend → coalition
Trump did none of that.
asserted
Trump → do → that
Trump has refused to acknowledge the war’s cost, saying this month he would “never apologize” for higher prices stemming from it and insisting he did “the right thing” to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon.
asserted
he → refuse → weapon
His administration announced new sanctions this week in an attempt to further isolate Tehran.
asserted
administration → announce → Tehran
In Congress, Republicans have shifted from initially cheerleading Trump’s moves in Iran to expressing concern about the toll of the war.
asserted
Republicans → shift → war
But the party has largely unified to block measures that would curb Trump’s war powers and leaders have shown no interest in cutting off money for the war, preferring to portray Democrats as extremists who cannot be trusted to govern.
asserted
who → unify → extremists
Democrats who were blamed just two years ago for presiding over high prices see an opportunity to turn the issue back on their opponents.
asserted
who → blame → opponents
As part of his comeback U.S. Senate bid in Ohio, Sherrod Brown released an ad this week filmed at a gas station as he said “the cost of gas is out of control and we’re the ones paying for it.”
asserted
we → release → it
Speaking to a group of older adults recently in a Republican-dominated swath of western Maryland, Democratic U.S. Sen. Angela Alsobrooks blamed higher prices on the war.
asserted
Alsobrooks → speak → war
Heading into November, she encouraged fellow Democrats to stay focused on the war’s impact and what it says about Trump’s leadership.
asserted
it → head → leadership
“We ought to be saying what is obvious, which is our country is heading in the wrong direction,” she said in an interview.
asserted
she → say → interview
That resonates with voters such as Brandon Bane, a fast-food worker in Bakersfield, California, where Republican Rep. David Valadao is also in a competitive congressional race.
asserted
Valadao → resonate → race
Bane, who described himself as a political independent, said he often has to balance paying rent and groceries, noting high gas prices have only added to the challenge.
asserted
prices → describe → challenge
“It hasn’t been worth it at all,” he said of the war, adding that he plans to vote for Valadao’s challenger, Democrat Randy Villegas.
asserted
he → say → challenger
Melissa Wegman, a Democratic retiree who is also from Bakersfield, said she was shocked when the pump recently whirled to $128 to fill the tank on her SUV.
asserted
pump → say → SUV
“I have to manage a budget,” she said.
asserted
she → have → budget
Some voters are sticking with Republicans
But there is a risk, too, that the war does not provide Democrats with the political boost they are expecting.
asserted
they → stick → boost
Many remain aligned with Trump and are not interested in seeing Democrats return to power.
asserted
Democrats → remain → power
North Carolina is a top pickup opportunity for Democrats hoping to flip a U.S. Senate seat.
asserted
Carolina → hop → seat
But at the State Farmers Market in Raleigh, North Carolina, Lucienda Lowe of Sugarloaf Orchards said her faith in Trump is solid.
asserted
faith → say → Trump
“There has to be a reason why they’re over there,” she said.
asserted
she → have → ?
“They wouldn’t be over there doing that if there wasn’t something more going on than what we’re seeing.”
asserted
we → do → what
She has not raised her prices on apples even as fuel and fertilizer costs soar.
asserted
costs → raise → apples
Her family has been farming since 1846 so she feels resilient to weather the next rough patch and tells others to do the same.
asserted
she → farm → same
“Suck it up, buttercup,” she said.
asserted
she → suck → it
Similarly in Iowa, where Democrats are bullish on their prospects of flipping everything from a U.S. Senate seat and the governor’s mansion to several U.S. House races, Larry Cole said higher gas prices as a result of the war are just the “nature of the beast.”
asserted
prices → flip → beast
The 66-year-old Republican service manager from Perry, Iowa, said he will back Republicans in this midterm elections and does not want to see Democrats gain control in either chamber.
asserted
Democrats → say → chamber
He said Trump has taken action that other presidents were not willing to do to keep Iran in check.
asserted
presidents → say → check
Trump “hit them where they need to be hit,” Cole said.
asserted
Cole → hit → them
…and 11 more, not listed.
The Aporia
