I know that we are in the midst of a heated Democratic Primary. And the mainstream press writes about the “Democratic Party in Disarray” about as often as the days that end in -y.
But it is time to recognize that Trump gives us a great opportunity to push the Republican Party closer to the brink of oblivion.
This is not the same Republican Party that used to march in lockstep with whatever the leadership wants. The Republican Party that used to possess great cohesion. As much as they are our adversaries, it was always worth noting and taking great care of how the Party is able to fall in line with its power wielders.
Not the Party under Trump. Trump’s idea of leadership is wielding as much power as possible, with all the underlings fighting to become Henchman Number Two. Rather than distributing power down the chain of command in a predictable manner, the chain of command under Trump is blurred, unstable and changing all the time, and even his most staunchest footsoldiers likely on edge at all hours of the day, that they can lose their positions just like that.
What kind of environment does this leadership style cultivate? Well, we can see it playing out throughout the downballot ticket all around the country now.
In Alabama’s Senate race, challenging Democratic incumbent Doug Jones, the previous Republican incumbent, Jeff Sessions, is in an ugly primary battle with sitting Congressman Bradley Byrne, football coach Tommy Tuberville, and they’ve still got the mess of disgraced Roy Moore to deal with. All of this started, mind you, because Trump tapped Sessions for his Cabinet. Well, temporarily, anyways, as is any employment under Trump.
In Georgia’s special Senate race to replace Johnny Isakson, you’ve got technically-incumbent Kelly Loeffler, who was appointed by Gov. Brian Kemp, vs another sitting Congressman, Doug Collins, where again, the shadow of Trump looms large over the contest. And considering the other Republican incumbent Senator, David Perdue, is also facing re-election this year, depending on how badly the Loeffler-Collins-Trump triangle plays out, it may see him more threatened than conventional wisdom might otherwise expect.
In Kansas, early Trump ally Kris Kobach, who already cost the GOP the governor’s office, is currently looking like the front-runner in the GOP Senate primary to replace retiring Pat Roberts.
Then there is the tenuous relationship that Trump has with the Mormon wing of the Republican Party. Obviously, the most recent drama, with Mitt Romney being the only Republican to vote to remove Trump during impeachment, but there is also Trump’s constant attacks on another Mormon, Senator Jeff Flake. And it is somewhat been a constant under the Trump regime, remember that with Trump the presumed Republican nominee in 2016, former CIA officer Evan McMullin ran as an independent to offer a Conservative alternative to Trump. While McMullin’s campaign was ultimately inconsequential on the national stage, his significant showing in Utah (21.5%) reflects that Trump is a liability with this once-stalwart base demographic of the Republican Party.
Note that these are all places where the Republican Party has largely dominated — but because of Trump, that stranglehold the Republican Party has on these parts is looking less dominant by the day. And while the Republican primaries were always arguably as contested as they are today, I think in the past, the GOP was a lot more capable of reining in the hostility of it. They were a lot better at keeping it “gentlemanly,” in the majority of the public sphere. And there was a stronger perception that they could make deals in the smoke-filled rooms out of the public eye, to keep the intra-party battles more telegenic.
Under Trump, that all seems to have gone by the wayside. Nowadays, it seems like the Trump menu of backstabbing, badmouthing, and reality-show style conspiring is making it more and more to the forefront of these battles.
While I am not going to say because of this, the Democratic Party should expect to win all or any of these seats. They are still going to be tough battles for our team to win, no matter what.
But still, they offer a great opportunity to build on these growing battles within the Republican Party. To further drive wedges between intra-GOP factions, to continue to drive GOP voters away from these toxic fights.
If the Primary battle between Sessions and Byrne gets ugly enough, for example, the damage could continue onto the General election, keep disgusted voters at home, and help Jones, for example.
This might be considered an optimistic prediction. But this potential lies in intra-GOP battles all around the country. I would dare say that the potential that Trump’s toxic GOP has throughout the country is rife for fracturing, either for attracting former GOP voters to the Democratic Party, or simply driving them away from the GOP, period. Towards that end, yes I think the Dem Party should be working toward a new 50-state strategy. Because of Trump, places that Dems have largely abandoned, are once again chances to establish new grassroots.
First of all, there is this unquestioned notion, that the Republican Party — not the leadership and minority in power, but the vast number of voters who are considered its base — is in lockstep with Trump and will overwhelmingly come home in November to vote for him. I am not convinced that this entirely proven true.
The off-year elections since Trump won the Electoral College have been disastrous for the Republican Party. They lost control of the US House. They lost the governors offices of several states that Trump won. They have lost nine state legislative chambers under Trump. And unless Trump displays the ability to unite the Party the way he and the rest of the media thinks, but has largely been unable to prove so far, they stand to lose even more going forward.
So rather than treating the solidarity of the Republican Party under Trump as a given, we would be better served to point out how utterly false this is. And if anything, to work to make it all-the-more apparent.
Under Trump, the Republican Party is now a viper pit. For the leaders like Mitch McConnell who spent so many years turning it into a safe haven of re-election and unquestioning loyal voters, it is now no better than a place to wait to get thrown under the bus, while you endlessly watch your back, all while trying to betray someone else first.