But I really think they are clueless about the backlash that is going to happen to the Republican Party for going down this path...
Maybe they think we on the right have no other alternative than the Republicans, but we always have choices which they don’t seem to realize...
I don’t. Sasse just got 67% of the vote. Kinzinger will likely get a similar result when he runs again.
I am afraid we are vastly over estimating the hardcore MAGA wing of the GOP. In reality it is 1/3 or 1/4 of GOP voters. Then you have the mushy middle 50% that will not radicalize in support of the MAGA agenda and the 25 or so percent Never Trump/country club wing.
Normalcy bias reigns. In particular amongst pop culture addled suburban women. The majority of GOP voters may be mad but are they not in burn it all down mode. And when they get there it will be too late. Every day patriot Trump voters die and are replaced by socialist loving third world dirt farmers. Dems won’t even have to cheat very shortly.
Just think about what you said, 1/3 to 1/4 of the GOP voters are hardcore MAGA....
If that’s true and for the sake of discussion, I will agree with you...
Look at all the political contests around the country....how many are decided by a couple of percentage points either way....now take away a large portion of that 1/3 or 1/4 of the Republican Voters and what is the result....
Especially on a statewide basis....on congressional districts the effect is less....
A practical example, the State of Pennsylvania, Toomey is leaving the Senate and Republicans have ZERO chance of holding that seat without the MAGA core voter....
Florida is another example, Rubio is up for reelection in 2022, Trump blew out Biden in Florida but typically the elections in Florida a 1-2 point margins if that....take away 1/3 to 1/4 of the Republican Support and Rubio is toast....
All I’m saying is, no political party can afford to alienate 1/3 to 1/4 of it’s supporters and survive long term...
There were a lot of hardcore Bush defenders here at Free Republic, and I still remember the "Rove you magnificent bastard!" posts. So the middle of the road GOP voters will likely pony up enthusiastically for the next Romney, McCain, or Bush that runs.
That said, if the hardcore MAGA wing is 1/3 of the typical GOP voter base -- and including the new blood brought over with black and Hispanic voters -- the Republican party could be driven into the wilderness for a long time to come.
We'll see how devoted they (we) stay...