In this midterm year, national Republicans are trying something new: a midterm convention, of the sort normally only held in presidential election years. The urge to push something that's kind of out of the box is understandable; the 2026 midterms are and will be, almost certainly, the most contentious and the most consequential midterm elections in recent history. These elections are, as someone once said, a big freaking deal, and both sides look like they are gearing up to fight to the finish.
Each side is gunning to fire up their base. Each side is looking to fire up voter turnout. And, for the Republican Party, what better than a typically big, beautiful Trumpian event? President Trump still commands considerable approval ratings among national Republicans, if you take the polls seriously.
Democrats, now, Democrats are reportedly poised to try to swing this big Republican event to their advantage. But so far, what they would seem to have planned is liable to backfire, bigly.
Meanwhile, more than a dozen organizations are planning to rally in downtown Dallas to pull focus as top Republicans address the convention crowd. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries also announced on Friday that a four-member House delegation would be headed to Dallas to underscore the contrast between the two parties.
“I don’t know who we have to pay to thank the Republicans for doing this at this time, but I’m happy they’re coming. I hope it gets as much airtime as possible,” said Matt Angle, founder of the Lone Star Project, a Texas-based Democratic PAC. “It gives Democrats another event to organize around and another opportunity to make the case in a convincing way.”
Yes, please do present that contrast, Mr. Jeffries (yes, I'm presuming his gender.) Tell all of America, from Texas, how your party is being taken over by the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA). Tell all of America how you want to throw the borders back open again, to allow all and sundry to enter the country, without question. Tell all of America how you want to subject minors to irreversible hormone treatment and surgery in the name of "transgender rights." Please, by all means, go to a Republican stronghold, during a major Republican event, and try all of these things.
Some individual Democrats are already ramping up the dumb. Texas Senate candidate James Talarico, who has the testosterone level of chewing gum, will be countering the Republican event with, of all things, a food drive.
Talarico, whose bid has surged Democratic hopes against controversy-laden Paxton, is also planning to counterprogram the convention with a statewide “Love Thy Neighbor” food drive, the campaign announced on Friday.
Now, there's certainly nothing wrong with food drives. But what Talarico doesn't seem to understand is that, with these food drives, he will almost certainly appeal only to a demographic, the dependency constituency, that is already heavily Democratic.
No, what's far more likely is this: The Republican convention in Dallas this coming week will be a big deal, and it may well have some effect in firing up the Republican base. The party will have to do more than that to pull out of this coming election in good shape, but hopefully the national party and the various campaigns can walk and chew gum at the same time. But it's outside the venue that the Democrats may step on their protuberances; expect the usual crowds of shrieking weirdos and mutants, of shouting communists, and all of the many and assorted oddities that make up the modern Democrat base.
That's their major liability. And that might be why they completely blow their reaction to this big, beautiful Republican event.
Editor’s Note: The 2026 Midterms will determine the fate of President Trump’s America First agenda. Republicans must maintain control of both chambers of Congress.
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