Even after the RNC’s “legitimate political discourse” debacle two weekends ago, the answer almost across the board was an adamant “no.” The anxiety level was virtually nil among MAGA and establishment types alike — and whether they were speaking on the record or granted anonymity to talk frankly. Their overriding point: The backlash against President JOE BIDEN is real and not going away. Some even said that DONALD TRUMP’s ongoing outrages might help the party’s chances — by keeping his base engaged and motivated to turn out.
“Intensity is at an all-time high on the Republican side, independent voters are breaking away from the president and Democrats by double-digit margins, fundraising records are being broken by the campaign committees … the president’s approval rating is low … and Republicans maintain the edge on the generic ballot,” said KEN SPAIN, who was at the NRCC in 2010 when the GOP flipped 63 seats. There are “eerie similarities” between the current election cycle and that one, he said.
Here are some of the arguments we heard from eight Republican operatives, which we’re not endorsing but rather presenting as a glimpse at what the strategic braintrust of the GOP is thinking at this moment…
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