Within the wake of Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s exit from his failed unbiased bid for president, Republicans have been giddy at his endorsement, and that (re)endorsement of former Rep. Tulsi Gabbard just a few days later. Of their minds, it was however the starting of a flood of Democratic defections to Donald Trump.
That by no means occurred. However Republicans positive are defecting to the Democratic ticket!
It’s laborious to understate simply how excited conservatives have been.
“We now have a trio of Power Rangers who can swoop right into the middle of the rival party and convince traditional Democrats that it’s OK to leave a party that left them,” a senior Trump adviser told conservative outlet Just the News, founded by former Washington Examiner editor John Solomon, again on Aug. 24. The quote was so ridiculous, that this “senior Trump adviser” was too embarrassed to place his title on it.
The third “Power Ranger” is Elon Musk, who’s an unbiased.
“I think that the Trump people should package Tulsi Gabbard and Robert F Kennedy Jr, together, and they would—as joint former Democrat witnesses about the corruption of the system—be devastating,” mentioned former Home Speaker Newt Gingrich on the “John Solomon Reports” podcast, apparently with a straight face.
“[I]t shows you that today’s Democratic Party is leaving these people behind. Today’s Democratic Party is so radical, so dangerous, so progressive, that there are millions of Democrats who are leaving that party every day,” said Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Whatley to Just the News. “We’re seeing thousands of them that are coming our way.”
Yeah, no they’re not. In reality, their endorsements solely serve to remind voters of how bizarre and creepy Republicans are.
Kennedy was funded by right-wing donors with a view to take votes from the Democratic ticket, and was so batshit loopy that he repelled weirded-out Democrats and ended up taking votes from the Republican ticket. He would’ve stayed in if any Democrats have been truly occupied with what he was promoting.
And to drive the purpose dwelling, as quickly as he dropped out, he signed on to one of many dumbest conspiracy theories in historical past—the one about chemtrails.
Which may not be one of the best ways to draw “traditional Democrats,” although it may very nicely repel Republicans.
Musk, lengthy misplaced to the fever swamps of the precise, isn’t attracting any Democrats anytime quickly. On Sunday, Musk tweeted “interesting observation” at an incel posting that girls and “low T men” shouldn’t be allowed to vote. “Only high T alpha males and aneurotypical people (hey autists!) are actually free to parse new information with an objective ‘is this true?’ filter,” the weirdo wrote. “This is why a Republic of high status males is best for decision making. Democratic, but a democracy only for those who are free to think.”
Probably not the kind of factor any marketing campaign must be associating with, even when that is the kind of materials Sen. JD Vance may embrace.
Gabbard hasn’t broken Trump by affiliation this previous week just because she hasn’t mentioned something publicly. She’s supposedly serving to Trump with debate prep, enjoying the position of Vice President Kamala Harris. However nothing in her historical past suggests she’ll entice conventional Democrats. She misplaced the plot a very long time in the past.
Trump’s backers positive are enthusiastic about these three, however what about all of the Republicans who’re abandoning Trump in droves?
Not a single former Republican president (George W. Bush), former vp (Mike Pence, Dick Cheney, Dan Quayle), or presidential nominee (Mitt Romney) has endorsed Trump. Two of the 4 dwelling Republican ex-Home Audio system, Paul Ryan and John Boehner, have moved on from Trump. (He’s nonetheless received Gingrich and Kevin McCarthy.)
Of the 44 former Trump cupboard members, solely 4 have publicly endorsed him.
In the meantime, along with totally consolidating her personal social gathering, Harris can also be cleansing up with Republican endorsements. Up to now, she has garnered:
Do endorsements affect voter choices? Probably not, notably on the prime of the ticket the place the candidates are universally identified by the citizens. But it surely provides one more little bit of stress for a Trump marketing campaign determined to regain momentum.
It’s laborious to brag about kooky Gabbard and Kennedy when a whole lot of Republicans are herding over to the Democratic tent.
Chip in $5 or extra to maintain the Harris-Walz momentum going!
