Nothing like biting the hand that feeds you. Seniors are a bloc that votes consistently and the GOP depends upon them like they depend upon oxygen. In the past two months Donald Trump has consistently been losing ground with that bloc of voters, but he either doesn’t know it, or he doesn’t think it matters. Or, maybe he’s too far gone to deal with it at all. Newsweek:
A recent survey conducted by CNN and the research firm SSRS found that 47 percent of those aged 65 and over said they would vote for a GOP candidate if the midterm congressional election for their district were held “today,” with slightly more people aged 65 and over saying they would vote for a Democratic candidate (49 percent).
This is a major turnaround from May, when a previous CNN/SSRS poll found that nearly two-thirds of those aged 65 and over (62 percent) said they would back a Republican candidate in the midterms, compared to just 37 percent of seniors who said they would back a Democratic candidate.
According to the results, the GOP has seen a 15 percent drop in support from those aged 65 and over—one of the main demographics in any election—in just two months between the two polls being conducted.
Now that is a significant drop, 15 points in two months. Nobody who follows politics is going to view that kind of a drop without some considerable hesitation. But not Trump. On he blusters and blathers, apparently oblivious.
He spoke at the America First convention in Washington, D.C. yesterday and put forth a “policy” speech which consisted mainly of defining American greatness in terms of massive internment camps for the homeless on the outskirts of every city, executions of drug dealers, border walls, federal troops in the streets, the ongoing mockery of sexual minorities (he thinks female body builders are a laugh riot for some reason) and of course the hint of more coups to come. Ain’t it grand, the Great Trump Society ahead?
And then there was this on Truth Social.
This was posted right after the bombshell Washington Post piece announcing that the DOJ was finally, at long last, investigating Trump’s actions with respect to the overthrow of the government and the Capitol riot.
Point being, this is all Trump can focus on. He’s convinced himself that the stolen election fiction is real. He’s told it to himself so often that it has become real to him. And he still talks with enough looney birds that will tell him that it’s real — or, at least that it’s a scam that can be pulled off. Who knows what he and John Eastman have said to each other?
The GOP wants to move on. While I don’t think Mike Pence has the proverbial snowball’s chance in Hell of getting the GOP nomination, at least he’s got the right idea, that “elections are about the future” and not beating the dead horse of a past election which was lost by over seven million votes. That is nowheres ville. And that’s where Trump plans to stay. Apparently he simply can’t get beyond it.
The Big Lie is his Waterloo, one way or the other. Either the DOJ will finally get him or enough people will become disillusioned with him to drop away in their support. That’s what is happening with senior citizens right now. And the likes of Marjorie Taylor Greene touting voting fraud only makes other voting groups want to stay away from the polls.
Trump has made his bed. It will be satisfying to watch him lie in it.
Was just reading about the latest laff on the Trump-O the Assclown Comedy Tour is that he is threatening to sue CNN for defamation for calling BS on his stolen election BS……
https://news.yahoo.com/trump-notifies-cnn-of-intent-to-file-defamation-lawsuit-regarding-his-unproven-election-claims-201400287.html
So now the world’s most proficient compulsive liar is suing people who don’t believe his lies.
*smirk*
I’m a worry-wart and fear our side due to past demonstrated ability to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory. And make no mistake there ARE people on our side who will get stupid, even MAGA stoopid to raise their personal profile that will say/do something or stuff that will make us want to scream. Still, the chance is there to extend our margins in both chambers of Congress and even make some headway downballot at the state level. There are GOP “trifectas” and supermajorities in states where they can blow off a Democratic Governor, and Governor’s races themselves that matter. Not to mention trying to hold the line at the county/local level.
In 2018 there was clearly a “Trump needs to tone it down” from a good sized chunk of GOP voters which combined with a ton of enthusiasm from Democrats propelled us to startling gains. The name Donald Trump didn’t appear on a single ballot but he made damned sure his name WAS on there whether it showed up in print or not. And the country spanked him and the GOP. What I still can’t get over is how he lost so huge in 2020 but so many Republicans, the ones who want Trumpism gone from their Party returned to the fold and narrowed the margin in the House so much. And while Trump’s continued mucking around allowed us to sort of control the Senate frankly we should have taken it anyway.
As many including our own Murfster have noted it seems like these crossover voters got their chance to vent directly at Trump and did so but returned to long-held loyalties everywhere else. But once again, while Trump’s name won’t show up on any ballot anywhere he’d making damned sure his name will be there – projected from voter’s minds onto those ballots just like in 2018. And I think plenty in the GOP, including and especially Moscow Mitch McConnell are shitting themselves hourly.
I truly believe that on Capitol Hill a substantial number of Republicans are gone way the hell round the bend and down the toxic waste lined rabbit hole to forever sit with the mutant alien rabbit Trump. However, a good third to perhaps closer to half of them are fearful of a repeat of 2018. And some of those will lose their seats! Sadly, instead of standing up and joining Liz Cheney and Adam Kinzinger and making a sustained public case that the GOP needs to purge itself of all things Trump even if it means losses for a cycle or two they will instead plot and scheme to ramp up voter suppression and even the outright changing of election outcomes in GOP states.
It’s worth remembering that prior to the appalling project conceived after Obama took office and which began being implemented in 2010 to gerrymander the fuck out of everything the vote totals around the country would have given us at least seventy and probably an eighty seat margin in the House. And though you can’t gerrymander an entire state the combination of that and voter suppression probably helped the GOP hang on to the Senate because in lots of places it was too hard for our folks to vote and many didn’t even bother.
So, keeping that in mind we need a 2018 type effort just to make modest gains in Congress, say an extra 15-20 seats in the House and perhaps 52 Senators. Frankly, in the Senate I think we need at least 53 because we need a buffer when sure as shit Manchin and Sinema will abandon us on a regular basis and someone else might get in a snit and join them.
In the meantime though the more Trump shoots off his fat mouth and tiny fat thumbs the better it is for us. Here’s hoping we can take full advantage.
A one trick pony only knows one trick. Same with privileged pampered fascists. One trick isn’t going to cut it anymore.
I wonder at the “so many Republicans…want trumpism gone from the party” statement. The republican party is where it should be after more than forty years of racist/misogynist/bigoted/etc. behavior as well as striving to get those types to join the party. When the ‘pubes welcomed, with wide open arms, the dixiecrats, it was pretty obvious the direction they were heading. This is the promised land for them whether they want it or not and quite frankly your average ‘pube voter is likely to be a magat.
I’m wondering if the turn-off for seniors was idiots like Scott actually saying the stuff they used to not say out loud: they’re coming after SS and Medicare. That will not sit well with the vast majority of seniors and likely would change some support to the dems.
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