Republic fears repeat of 2006 crushing defeat Unpopular war and high fuel prices - US midterm elections

[Washington Current Affairs] The military operation against Iran launched by the Trump administration in February is weighing heavily on the ruling party, the Republican Party, in the midterm elections. This is because the turmoil in the Middle East has caused a rise in the prices of gasoline and diesel oil. There are voices within the party that fear a repeat of the 2006 midterm elections, in which the party lost a landslide due to the Iraq War.

"The war needs to be brought to a successful and immediate end." Republican Rep. Hinson, who is running for the U.S. Senate in the midwestern state of Iowa, has changed his stance from allowing the operation to continue. As harvest season approaches in the agricultural state of Iowa, farmers are being hit hard by the high price of diesel oil used in farm equipment. "Iowans should not be forced to pay for the war in Iran at a gas station or at a cash register," Hinson wrote on X (formerly Twitter) in late September.

Gas oil prices exceeded $6 per gallon (approximately 3.8 liters) for the first time in September. Gasoline prices have also remained high, ranging from the $2 range before the attack to the $4 range. Support for the campaign against Iran remains at the 30% level in the latest opinion poll. Republican Sen. Daines expressed concern that "there may be some similarities between the 2006 and 2026 election cycles," citing unpopular wars and high fuel prices.

In the 2006 midterm elections, the Republican Party lost its majority in both houses of Congress due to criticism of the Iraq war becoming a stalemate and soaring gasoline prices, dealing a major blow to then-President George W. Bush's administration.

Midterm elections usually focus on domestic issues such as immigration. However, Paul Post, an associate professor at the University of Chicago, points out, ``This is one of the few elections in which foreign policy has caused voter dissatisfaction.'' Republican candidates are also having a tough time in Senate races in the traditionally Republican strongholds of Texas and Kansas in the Midwest, due to backlash over the Iranian attack and high fuel prices.

With negotiations with Iran at a standstill and no end to the hostilities in sight before the election, President Trump, who is under pressure to respond to high fuel prices, announced on the 9th that after a telephone conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin, they had agreed to supply Russian-produced diesel oil to the United States and international markets. The goal was to lower the price of diesel oil, but there was widespread opposition within the Republican Party after it partially waived sanctions against Russia.

"(The U.S.-Russia deal) is not going to affect prices, it's just going to invite negative press coverage against Trump," Post said, noting that it's counterproductive for the administration.