The Government We Deserve
By O. Henry Swartzentruber
It has been said that “Every Country Gets the Government it Deserves.” Now that is "Country" with an R, not "County." Midterm elections are normally a referendum on the party in power, and the upcoming national contest looks difficult for Republicans. They own the current political climate, which is unpopular, to put it mildly. Recently, I noticed that even Daviess County political yard signs are often omitting the candidate's political party. Both blue ones and red ones are less specific than past cycles, apparently because of how unpopular both parties are.
Because Republicans are thought to be in power federally, it will be particularly difficult for them. Burdened by factional R infighting on policy ideas, economic disturbances connected to tariffs and war, an unpopular conflict in the Middle East, and persistent inflation, the GOP is looking at its tired base together with an electorate traditionally poised to swing back the pendulum. Republicans promised institutional renewal, claiming they couldn't possibly produce the same nonsense as the Biden Administration, but the looming backlash feels inevitable. Congress even tried to stay in session to pass recent, meaningful legislation concerning college sports (Protect College Sports Act) and the [further] Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026. As if to say, "Look at us, voters! We are doing something. We are protecting sports and hammering foes!"
Anecdotally, conservative talk show hosts are not mentioning President Donald J. Trump. This likely means they know listeners do not want to hear that name.
In a recent analysis by The Wall Street Journal, which evaluated nearly 70,000 hours of political podcast content, mentions of Trump’s name per hour have dropped roughly 70% from two years ago. That's a lot. Conservative commentators find it difficult to defend the foreign policy "blunders", economic struggles, and Iran fatigue, such that the outgoing Congressional (R) members Marjorie Taylor Greene and Thomas Massie have referenced "Trump Disappointment Syndrome." Indeed, your Odon Journal's Juice Podcast, at the request of its editor, has tried to not even mention Trump since the spring! It has been tough. Trust me ... pray for me.
Just this week, I had the privilege of speaking to local high schoolers in our CEO program and I asked each their favorite president. Compared to last year, very few hailed you know who (approx four out of 22), and even then, it felt sheepish or apologetic. (By the way, top vote getter was #1; George Washington, which was encouraging).
And as if you don't need more anecdotal facts, you should read the 5-10 political texts I get each day. They are increasingly ominous and negative.
Two centuries ago, the political thinker Joseph de Maistre (JdM) famously said, “Every country gets the government that it deserves.” If the GOP suffers a drubbing this November in a toxic political climate they own, it will not be because the public was deceived by tricky Democrats, but because a financially and morally bankrupt electorate got exactly what it deserves. Scary, I am one of them.
Voters in Daviess County face real economic pressures that will define their participation at the ballot box this November. More local information is available at your Odon Journal. Further, we plan to launch our paper online in the next 4-6 weeks, while maintaining the beautiful, colorful physical newspaper. Stay tuned for more and thank you for the unrelenting and unbelievable amount of support.