By Anthony Zurcher
BBC News, Washington
A day after midterm Election Day with no definitive answer about which party will control Congress, President Joe Biden hailed a "good night" but he has immense challenges ahead.
Republicans appear to have won or are leading in enough races to give them a narrow majority in the House of Representatives, but Senate control could come down to a December run-off election in Georgia.
Even if Republicans just take the House, and even if they do so by the slimmest of margins, the power dynamic in the nation's capital is poised to shift after two years of unified Democratic control in Washington.
Here are four very real implications for American politics for the next two years.
Biden's perilous path ahead
In a press conference the day after the midterms, Mr Biden claimed moral, if not always actual, victories. He said Democrats had a "good night" - in part because predictions of a Republican wave that would carry them to a large majority in the House and a multi-seat advantage in the Senate failed to materialise.
Even so, Republican control of either chamber of Congress will present political challenges that Mr Biden has been able to avoid for his first two years in office. Can he keep his composure when facing a spate of congressional investigations? How will he handle budget showdowns that lead to government shutdowns? Will he be able to achieve any kind of legislative agreements that he can campaign on if he stands for re-election in two years?
Most presidents suffer through electoral setbacks halfway through their first term in office. Some have faced even more significant losses than Biden's and bounced back to win another four years in office.
The president told reporters at his post-election press conference that he still intends to seek re-election and may announce his formal decision early next year. How he handles the challenges in the months ahead could go a long way toward determining what kind of odds he would face in one final campaign after 50 years in public office.
The end of Joe Biden's legislative agenda
In their two years in office, Joe Biden and the Democrats were able to enact a fairly substantive agenda, which included massive spending on the environment, healthcare and other social programmes.
That would all end with even the narrowest of Republican victories.

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-63527765

What is the essence of the mid term elections anyway

touchalex25:
What is the essence of the mid-term elections anyway

Indirect referendum on the current party In power. It's the point of any election. What changes most In any midterm is the house of representatives which sits for two years as opposed to the 6 years a senator sits. It is designed to reflect the populist opinions of the public hence the shorter term.

Biden has not done badly

Sannisege:
Biden has not done badly

With the rising inflation, crimes abi? I only praise him for Ukraine if not his foreign policies are a failure. He is even building Trump's wall now

Blue3k:


Indirect referendum on the current party In power. It's the point of any election. What changes most In any midterm is the house of representatives which sits for two years as opposed to the 4 years a senator sits. It is designed to reflect the populist opinions of the public hence the shorter term.

Senate term is 6 years in the US.

tsspsolutions:


Senate term is 6 years in the US.

Correction taken.