Why the Republican Primary Matters Enough to Scare Trump

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A great article brought to you by the underappreciated political analysts at Vanity Fair will convince you that the Republican primaries, the primaries occurring in states not succumbing to Trump’s effort to suppress them, may impact the 2020 presidential election just as much as the Democratic primary.

No one here ought to be surprised that Trump’s support remains soft in the overall Republican vote. We have noted the lesson of the “cult leader,” who will be followed beyond all reason, right up until he is not, and then nothing can rehab the initial hold. We have covered that aspect plenty. There is another element to the equation that I haven’t appreciated. Many of Trump’s voters (the people who don’t where MAGA hats and scream about “Q”) these “soft Republicans” have not have even heard or read about many of Trump’s most damaging controversies. Many may not know of Trump’s insatiable need to profit off his conflicts between business and government. They might not know that Trump insisted upon meeting Putin alone while also grabbing the interpreter’s notes, or the shocking number of lies, including the horrid poll numbers of late, the “real” Mueller findings, and on and on.

Even if some of these people did hear references to each of the above, it would have come from a Democrat mentioning it on Fox, only to have some Trump loyalist dismiss it as fake news and move on, quickly.

But, in a primary, some Republicans may end up hearing some of these god-awful truths; that we’re a trillion dollars poorer as a nation, we’re not respected – at all – on the international scene, that we Americans are paying for the Chinese tariffs, and the economy is slowing. They will hear it from fellow Republicans, even ones of dubious character, and no chance to actually “win.”

The article hammers home another point that I hadn’t fully appreciated. The “soft Republican” voters in Iowa and New Hampshire (especially New Hampshire) might want a “Trump rejection-vote, a safe one, one that won’t put a Democrat in the oval office, but will send a message; “Not my guy.” Added up, and a Republican primary challenger could conceivably get 15%, even maybe 20%. The number seems like nothing, because it obviously isn’t close enough to “winning,” but one is invited to imagine the news slamming the nation had a Democratic challenger garnered double digits against Barack Obama. It would be huge news because it exposes the candidate’s own internal weaknesses.

Moreover, look over the comments in Trump’s Twitter feed sometime, the single biggest “strength” Trump seems to bring to the MAGA heads isn’t any “policy” or official act, no it is that Trump “owns the libs,” constantly driving us insane. They love that, because they hate us liberals. But, if Trump shows some weakness within his own party, and the weakness stems from people learning the extent of Trump’s grease-hauling, train-wreck fire of an administration, maybe Trump isn’t “owning” anyone much anymore.

And that failure, which we have noted many times – and so does the Vanity Fair article – could collapse Trump’s entire movement. A Republican analyst states that Trump is a guy walking around with a paper bag full of water as support. He is keeping it all in right now, but when it leaks, it all comes down.

We should walk away appreciating the depth of Republican obliviousness to some of the things we talk about weekly. Some of it isn’t even their fault. They have lives, they aren’t inherently political, and when they watch news, the reflexively hit the Fox News button. Put that way, it becomes obvious why Trump doesn’t want to face any primaries. Despite the fact that he will win, and despite the fact he’s already said he will not debate, those Republicans running will be heard, and they will speak some “truth” to an audience that cannot so easily dismiss it as all “fake”.

Even the horrific Joe Walsh had a telling segment on Fox Business channel. While being getting grilled by interviewer Stuart Varney, a hopeless Trump-apologist, Walsh turned the table on Varney and simply asked if Varney thinks Trump has ever lied.” Varney answered – quite awkwardly – “No,” and quickly moved on. It was but one interview, featuring an irredeemable Republican, on a show by an irredeemable “Trumplican,” and yet it resulted in a relatively powerful moment.

The 2018 blue wave, along with Trump’s bottomed-out polling show that Trump is terribly vulnerable. But now imagine if Trump has been “cut” in a Republican fight. Republicans have hear some stuff they aren’t used to hearing, and seeing Trump in a slightly new light.

That alone, makes the Republican primary nearly as important as the Democratic one. Something could burst the paper bag prior to the general election. But only a Republican can weaken Trump so early, with such a lasting impact.

Perhaps that is why Trump and his cult are working overtime to cancel primaries in as many states as they can wrest control.

It is also why we should ask Republicans; “If Trump is polling at 94% approval in the Republican party, as he says he is without citation, why are his people working so hard to get states to cancel them ahead of time?”

It is all a matter of casting a new light on a shady character.

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Bonus coverage!! I saw a tweet earlier today, referencing the fact that Trump is on record about not liking dogs. Indeed, a donor bought Trump’s son Barron a labradoodle to celebrate his 2016 win. And because everything is always about Trump, he nixed the deal on the dog.

I don’t trust people that don’t like dogs. I like dogs more than I like most people. You cannot ever “fake” out a dog. They’re all up in real feelings. You can bribe them, sure. They know that the hot dog may come with a price of “coming in now.” But you cannot fake anything, especially empathy, with a dog. Trump fakes caring about anything that isn’t money. Dogs don’t care about money and demand real love that lasts.

No wonder Trump hates dogs. The feeling is surely mutual. Dogs have no time for someone without a heart, even if the heartless guy has a hot dog.

Peace, y’all

Jason

[email protected], and follow me on Twitter @MiciakZoom.

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1 COMMENT

  1. Another possible source of Republican attack could be John Bolton. He speaks the language of Republicanism fluently, was in the good graces of what’s left of the GOP mainstream and will NOT be cowed by Trump’s BS. I’d wager he’s lying in wait right now, waiting for just the moment to spring the trap on his ex-boss.

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