Will tomorrow’s elections even matter?

Tomorrow, Americans will go to the polls to choose their local, state and federal elected officials. While every race is important to some group, intense focus will be on the congressional elections.

Regardless of how long it takes to tally the votes, these outcomes will determine the future composition of the 120th Congress: Either Democrats or Republicans will win control of both chambers, or Congress will be divided, presumably with Democrats having the House and Republicans the Senate.

No matter the final result, will the federal government be able to govern and resolve voters’ most critical issues ?

Affordability — both the economy and the cost of living — and corruption intensified by growing chasms between the rich and everyone else, were the two most dominant, according to Bloomberg, followed by the war in Iran. Costs of virtually everything from airline tickets to healthcare to Zyrtec, an anti-allergy pill, have soared. This has created great economic anxiety.

Yet, despite the rhetoric and campaigns that in some cases had no “ bottom ” to the vulgarity and ferocious coarseness expressed, what plans do Democrats and Republicans have in place to respond to the voters? The answers are between few and none. And the big winner power-wise is the president, even if his name was not on any ballot.

For Donald Trump, no matter how the election is decided, he stands to gain. If the Republicans hold both Houses, Congress will remain a rubber stamp and doormat, fearful of challenging or even questioning a lame duck leader because he almost certainly will determine his successor as candidate for the Oval Office.

Should the Democrats sweep both chambers, or just the House, it is clear on whom Trump will vent his anger and blame. Executive orders will become even more plentiful and the de facto means of governing. When or if the courts intervene, as in the past, Trump will merely find another law or argument to justify a replacement executive order.

While a Democratic House may launch investigations, a third impeachment of the president is unlikely to be on the agenda, unless the Dems win the Senate or can count on 67 votes in the Senate to convict. Despite the possible grounds for an indictment, lesser members of the administration, in particular the Defense secretary, will be targeted.

But will a slew of investigations provide any better solutions to the nation’s ills, and the voters worries and fears? Probably not.

How, for example, will the affordability issue be broached? The high costs of energy and diesel fuel as well as fertilizer, for example, are entirely due to the war with Iran and the cut-off of oil and nitrates from the Persian Gulf. Only the president can end the war, unless the Democrats won control of both Houses or had enough votes in the Senate to invoke the War Powers Act . But would the president listen and follow the law, as he could veto any legislation?

Congress could override the veto, although the two-thirds majority needed seems unlikely. In that case, Congress could cut off funding, as it did to put a final nail in the Vietnam coffin. Still, as the president has shifted funds in the budget for other purposes, could he not do the same again?

On corruption, legislation to elevate or set ethical and moral standards is a mission impossible. Trump can assert that his assets are in a trust over which he has no control. And his globetrotting, deal making sons and son-in-law are private citizens. Surely no law could or should prevent them from making a living.

As for the gap between rich and poor and the influence of money in politics, the Supreme Court’s Citizens v. United gave money the constitutional protection of free speech. That made Elon Musk the second most powerful man in America, contributing nearly half a billion dollars — a mere pittance to a trillionaire — to help buy congressional seats. And ironically, Musk is the only person who can end the Russia-Ukraine War by cutting off Kyiv’s access to his Starlink and Starshield military technology.

What does this mean? Democrats and a number of independents believe that with his policies on tariffs, immigration enforcement, tax cuts for the rich and provoking wars that need not be fought, Trump has wrecked this country in less than two years. However, without clear cut legislation that can be passed and sustained over a veto, Democrats will be forced to wait until at least 2028.

But can the nation afford to wait that long?

Harlan Ullman is chairman of a private company and principal author of the doctrine of shock and awe. His next book, co-written with Field Marshal The Lord David Richards, former United Kingdom chief of defense and due out this Fall, is “Who Thinks Best Wins: How Decisive Strategic Thinking Will Prevent Global Chaos.”