It’s nearly official: the Republicans will likely take the majority in the House of Representatives.

While that seems like a reason for conservatives to celebrate, it isn’t very comfortable.

During midterm elections, historically, the Republicans should have swept the board.

They should have made considerable gains in governors and retaken the Senate and the House.

Instead, they’re barely squeaking a majority out of the House and have not retaken the Senate, which will remain in Democrat’s hands for at least two more years.

What does it mean for the anticipated “Red Wave” that Republicans promised?

It means that it never materialized. Instead of following historical patterns and voting against the party in the White House, voters chose to keep a Democrat majority in the Senate, kept things competitive in the House, and competitive across governor races.

Republicans are now grappling with their devastating wash and wondering “why?”

Some experts have suggested that tying their cart to the MAGA horse was the death knell for the midterms; others believe that extremist candidates (intentionally backed by Democrat donors to lose) were distasteful to voters.

With the former POTUS Donald Trump set to announce his candidacy for 2024 on Tuesday, strategists are scrambling to devise a less-doomed plan for the next election.

Meanwhile, they have to figure out how to navigate a landscape they thought would be solidly in their favor but instead looks mighty blue and purple.