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Congress Elections GOP

Kevin McCarthy Begs Democrat To Switch Parties And Support Him For Speaker Of The House: Report

Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) is so desperate to be the next Speaker of the House (and yet so unpopular with members of his own party), that some of his allies recently reached out to a House Democrat about switching parties and supporting him, Politico reports.

Kevin McCarthy’s allies have attempted to sway at least one moderate Democrat to the GOP side of the aisle in recent days, according to a person with knowledge of the situation — a sign of desperation as he searches for the 218 votes he’ll need to become House speaker next year.

Rep. Henry Cuellar (D-Texas) has received calls from multiple people close to McCarthy, including one current and one former member, as the California Republican attempts to lock down support amid a burgeoning conservative rebellion, the person said. Cuellar repeatedly rejected the idea.

Mark Bednar, a spokesperson for McCarthy, denied his boss had played any role in such a plan:

“Anyone suggesting this is simply exercising in fan fiction. Leader McCarthy is going to be elected Speaker by the current and newly-elected members of the House Republican Conference. Our efforts are exclusively focused on bringing our conference together and saving the country.”

Rumors of such a controversial outreach could be enough to sink McCarthy’s already fading chances of being elected Speaker. Even as some are actively pushing McCarthy’s name forward, conservatives in the House Freedom Caucus plan to submit an alternative name, which could sink any chances of McCarthy getting the votes he needs.

But it comes as some members of the pro-Trump Freedom Caucus weigh a two-step plan that’s designed to topple him. The Californian could also have to stare down emboldened centrists who are ready to press him for concessions of their own.

Who will the Freedom Caucus put forward? Two names appear to be the favorites, and both are right-wing extremists known for favoring confrontation instead of compromise: Reps. Jim Jordan (R-OH) and Andy Biggs (R-AZ), both of whom have connections to the January 6, 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol.

McCarthy may also be undercut by his own past actions and remarks, especially as they relate to failed former president Donald Trump, of whom the California Republican allegedly said, according to The Washington Post, “There’s two people I think Putin pays: Rohrabacher and Trump.”

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Congress Elections Fox News GOP

Fox Commentator Calls Midterm Results A ‘Searing Indictment’ Of The GOP

The predicted 2022 midterm election “red wave” we’ve been hearing about ever since President Joe Biden took the oath of office in January of 2021 fizzled out in humiliating fashion on Tuesday, with the Republicans still uncertain of whether or not they’ll control the House, and, even if they do, with a margin of just a few seats.

The Senate also appears headed for a 50-50 split or slim majority for Democrats once the race in Georgia between incumbent Sen. Raphael Warnock (D) and his GOP challenger, Herschel Walker, is decided in a runoff on December 6.

Just how bad was the midterm for Republicans? So much that Fox News political commentator Marc Thiessen is declaring it “an absolute disaster” and an indictment of the GOP, their message, and their candidates.

Thiessen sounded a warning for Republicans, noting:

“We have the worst inflation in four decades, the worst collapse in real wages in 40 years, the worst crime wave since the 1990s, the worst border crisis in U.S. history. We have Joe Biden, who is the least popular president since Harry Truman — since presidential polling happened — and there wasn’t a red wave. That is a searing indictment of the Republican Party. That is a searing indictment of the message that we have been sending to the voters. They looked at all of that and looked at the Republican alternative and said ‘no thanks.'”

Despite some conservatives attempting to put a happy face on the election results, Thiessen made it clear 2022 will go down in history as a debacle for the Republican Party.

 “The Republican Party needs to do a really deep introspection, look in the mirror right now, because this is an absolute disaster for the Republican Party, and we need to turn back. We need to look at who won today: Ron DeSantis, (Mike) DeWine. These governors. (Brian) Kemp, Abbott. Look at these governors. This is the path to the future. And electing these radical candidates who ran far behind them has put the Republican Party in a terrible position. And voters have indicted the Republican Party.”

Thiessen’s call for DeSantis, DeWine, Kemp, and Abbott to be the “path to the future” is also problematic for the GOP because all of them are far right extremists who want to jail women that have an abortion. If Republicans nominate any of them in 2024, they’re likely to lose again. That’s good news for the country but a political obituary for the GOP.

Here’s the video:

 

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Elections GOP

Democratic Turnout Surpasses GOP In 3 Key States As The Predicted ‘Red Wave’ Fizzles

For almost a year now political pundits and pollsters have suggested that the 2022 midterm election will be disastrous for Democrats across the country.

But the number of ballots already cast in early voting shows that Democrats are trouncing the GOP in three key states: Georgia, Ohio, and Wisconsin.

During a panel discussion Monday on MSNBC, host Joy Reid told Nicolle Wallace that voters were sickened by the January 6, 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol and seeing the Supreme Court take away a woman’s right to make her reproductive choices.

“Women just don’t get over the idea that they no longer own their bodies. That’s not something that they say, ‘Hey, you know, I wish milk was a little cheaper. I’ll probably get over it.’ That isn’t something that happens. So, when I look at the electorate and the way that campaigns are looking at it, they’re saying, can Republicans catch up to that 4 million vote lead on Election Day? Because that’s when they are voting.”

That led Wallace to note that she doesn’t trust polls showing Republicans with the lead over their Democratic rivals:

“I think it’s unknowable. Because I think if you don’t trust your Apple watch to track your period, you’re not responding to a pollster about how, whether you care a lot or not at all. It doesn’t answer the question. I don’t know if you’re taking those calls anymore, if you are that kind of voter. I also think that this idea that the Dobbs vote peaked early — it’s 50 years of precedent overturned! You don’t get over it, in like 12 weeks.”

One thing that will definitely happen if the GOP doesn’t win big in the midterms: They’ll claim the election was stolen from them and try to overturn the results in court. But as we saw in 2020, that’s not going to be a winning strategy and will only further antagonize the majority of voters who don’t buy Republican conspiracy theories.

 

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Donald Trump Elections GOP U.S. Senate

Trump Attacks ‘Stupid’ GOP Senate Candidate For Refusing To Bend The Knee

The Republican Party can now add the state of Colorado to the list of Senate races they won’t be winning in the midterm elections, and they can place the blame squarely on none other than disgraced former president Donald Trump.

On Monday morning, Trump took to his failing Truth Social site and lambasted Republican Joe O’Dea, the Colorado GOP nominee trying to unseat incumbent Sen. Michael Bennet (D).

What did O’Dea do to draw the ire of Trump? He dared to say he’s opposed to the ex-president holding elected office again and would “actively campaign” against him if he happens to run for the White House again in 2024.

O’Dea has been seen as possibly upsetting Bennet, according to The Hill:

So, in the final weeks of the 2022 midterm campaign, with the GOP’s pickup prospects fading in states like Arizona and Georgia, national Republicans are looking for backup opportunities and holding out hope that O’Dea can eke out an upset in a state that’s on the bluer side of purple. With the Senate locked in at 50-50, Republicans need to gain just one seat to tip the chamber’s balance in their favor. But neither party currently has the upper hand as Election Day nears, and key races in Pennsylvania, Nevada and Georgia remain too close to call.

Despite the wishes of the Republican Party, Trump went all-in with his trashing of O’Dea, writing:

“There’s this RINO character in the Great State of Colorado, Joe O’Dea, that is running against the incumbent Democrat for the United States Senate, who is having a good old time saying that he wants to “distance” himself from President Trump, and other slightly nasty things. He should look at the Economy, Inflation, Energy Independence, defeating ISIS, the Strongest EVER Border, Great Trade Deals, & much more, before he speaks. MAGA doesn’t Vote for stupid people with big mouths. Good luck Joe!”

The latest polls show Bennet up by as much as eight points over O’Dea, and the comments from Trump certainly won’t help the Republican’s chances of winning.

Once more, Donald Trump proves that he only cares about his own ego. And that could cost the GOP control of the Senate when the votes are counted later this year.

Categories
Elections GOP

Conservative Pollster Warns Steve Bannon: ‘People Are Less Likely To Vote For A Republican’

Mark Mitchell, a pollster who works for the conservative Rasmussen polling organization, warned Thursday that recent surveys show that American voters are “less likely” to vote for a Republican candidate than they were just a year ago.

During an appearance on former Trump administration adviser Steve Bannon’s “War Room” podcast, Mitchell noted that President Joe Biden’s poll numbers had risen considerably over the summer and Democrats have also made up significant ground in the generic congressional ballot. Once down by as much as 10 points, the two parties are almost even.

Mitchell also told Bannon:

“Look at the question. If the midterm elections were held today, would you vote for the Republican candidate or for the Democrat candidate for Congress? And, you know, when somebody loses a lead like that, it’s a referendum on the party. Right?

“So, people are very concerned about all these topics. They look around and they see a lot of problems with the economy and they’re worried about being able to make their rent payment or whatever.”

The pollster added:

“But they are less likely to vote for Republicans — I think that’s a very clear signal — than they were a year ago. Much less likely than they were a year ago.”

Remember that “red wave” the GOP was promising at the beginning of the year? The wave now seems to be turning blue and could be disastrous for Republicans because Americans know they cannot be trusted.