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Title: Rick Saccone’s Pennsylvania blunder was very expensive for Republicans
Source:
Vox
URL Source: https://www.vox.com/policy-and-poli ... sylvania-expensive-republicans
Published: Mar 14, 2018
Author: Tara Golshan
Post Date: 2018-03-14 15:22:35 by Willie Green
Keywords: None
Views: 891
Comments: 14
Republican groups essentially lit more than $7 million on fire in Pennsylvania. In a race that’s still undecided, GOP candidate Rick Saccone fell short in the Pennsylvania House special election, in a district that President Donald Trump won by 20 points. Saccone, a state legislator who called himself “Trump before Trump was Trump,” is behind Democrat Conor Lamb, a 33-year-old attorney and former Marine, in a special election to replace former Republican Rep. Tim Murphy, who resigned last year after reports revealed he had asked a woman he was having an affair with to have an abortion. Lamb has declared victory, but Saccone has yet to concede. Regardless of outcome, after an extensive and heavy-handed media campaign, the results may force the GOP to reconsider its messaging and recruitment. Clearly, money didn’t get them very far. The history and demographics of Pennsylvania’s 18th Congressional District, which covers the southwest corner of the state, should have made for an easy race for Saccone; the region is older and very white (total minority population is less than 5 percent), and was rated as an R+11 district — a heavy Republican tilt in part due to Pennsylvania’s partisan gerrymandering that the state Supreme Court recently ruled unconstitutional. Instead, Tuesday night was a wakeup call for Republicans, who were test-driving their messaging strategy for the 2018 midterms — and just watched it crash into a Democratic wave. After Saccone’s campaign showed a lackluster fundraising effort, outside Republican groups — including the national campaign arm for House Republicans — jumped in to get Saccone over the finish line. Republican-aligned groups have greatly outspent Democrats in the race. According to the Washington Post, as of February 27, Saccone’s campaign and allied groups had spent a total of $9.1 million on the race, between the Congressional Leadership Fund, the National Republican Congressional Committee, and others. Meanwhile, Democratic groups and labor unions had spent less than $1 million. The official campaign arm for House Republicans reported spending another $619,664 on media ahead of the March 13 election for Pennsylvania’s 18th District House seat, bringing the total to $3.5 million on media buys as of last week, in a last-minute panic. Trump’s surrogates have stumped for Saccone, and the president has gone to the district twice, most recently for a campaign rally last Saturday, in which he called on Congress to defund “sanctuary cities” and supported giving drug dealers the death penalty. The White House insisted Trump’s January visit was purely to bump the new tax law. It was clear Republicans didn’t want to face another news cycle about the Democratic takeover. “When Trump leaned so hard into this district, sending his surrogates and then going in Saturday — they are taking this as the bellwether of what is going to happen in the midterms and taking this as the ‘ride or die’ for what it could be,” Alison Dagnes, a political scientist with Pennsylvania’s Shippensburg University, said. But the GOP wasn’t able to avoid the embarrassment. And Pennsylvania Republicans will face a new challenge in November. This district’s demographics will change when the seat comes for reelection under a redrawn map that’s more favorable to Democrats — with big implications for Democratic efforts to regain control of the House of Representatives in 2018. Republicans currently hold 12 of Pennsylvania’s 18 House seats with Saccone’s loss. Republicans said their tax cuts would help them win elections. But it couldn’t secure them a Republican seat in a Trump-loving district. This race was a rocky test drive for Republicans, who tried to put their tax plan front and center and saw their candidate suffer a devastating defeat. For weeks, the bill was the subject of countless ads and consumed Saccone’s talking points. Trump even visited the state for a conveniently located GOP tax rally in Western Pennsylvania in January, which the White House insisted was not directly related to Saccone’s candidacy. At the beginning of February, almost two-thirds of GOP ads were about the Republican tax law, according to a Politico analysis — but it didn’t stick. Too much else has happened. By election day, the same groups had pivoted sharply to decrying so-called sanctuary cities in a last-ditch effort to turn out the base. That wasn’t enough either. For now, Republicans don’t appear to be changing course; this is just another scare. “Look, it’s going to be a centerpiece — without a doubt,” Matt Gorman, a spokesperson for the National Republican Congressional Committee, the official campaign arm for House Republicans, told the Washington Post of the GOP’s messaging strategy for 2018. “The law is getting more popular both in public and internal polls. Voters don’t need to take our word for it; they can see the companies announcing bonuses and perks for themselves.” With an unpopular Republican president in office, and a wave of Democratic enthusiasm, Democrats think they have a shot to take back the House. And this race certainly gives them some encouragement.Saccone was an expensive bet
Republicans just test-drove their messaging — and they crashed
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#1. To: Willie Green (#0)
Trump ran on closing the border, killing Obamacare, tariffs, renegotiating unfair trade agreements and deregulation. On all of those matters that the President has direct control over (namely, deregulation and tariffs), he has already imposed his will. But the Republican Congress blocked him on everything else. Obamacare survived thanks to the GOP. The Border is still open. The GOP wanted tax cuts. That was not the focus of the American people in the last election: the Border was FAR more important. But the Republicans have never cared what the people want. THEY want tax cuts - that's their alpha issue. Trump managed to put his stamp on the tax cuts, but that was not the agenda he tried to move first. His agenda tied everything to immigration and Obamacare, but the Republican Congress blocked him. So, now Republicans want to run on their tax cut. Thing is, their tax cut really isn't much of a tax cut for most - and it gives back a great deal of middle class tax benefit, while extended vast new benefits to the upper class. The people are not doubly duped. They don't think this new tax cut is all that, but they never took their eye off of the immigration issue, which remains their alpha. If the Republicans had moved on THAT, they couldn't lose. Now they might. They blocked Trump, and now the people will stay home and give the Congress back to the Democrats.
DREAM ON. This tiny margin or fake victory is NOT a fait accompli. Subject to RECOUNT. And even then, this election result is only in effect until this coming November. Leave it to Democrats and their propaganda organ MSM to overstate this result and meaning of what was merely just temporary special election. They act as if a .00001 margin is some kind of mandate.
Overlooked points. I agree. What isn't considered so much (or at all) is the GOPe/RNC and its anti-Trump "leadership" that chooses its candidates based on the McConnell/Ryan RNC agenda and NOT on the Trump agenda -- which as you note are WINNING ISSUES! The GOPe agenda has NEVER been about winning; It's about LOSING. Why don't people see that? A Republican Party that supports Trump and his nationalist agenda WINS. GOPe globalist policies resemble and often collaborate on a pro-Democrat agenda.
This fall, look forward to the Democrats pointing to the $trillion plus deficits that the republicans have created. The Democrats will underscore a declining deficit during the Obama administration, and play up the expanding inequality of wealth. he Democrats won't even mention SH45..... they will run against the elites - and will target winning back the white working class. Based on historical swings in off-year elections, the dismal approval ratings for both dumb-ass donnie and the congress, the coming trade war, and the disastrous approach to foreign policy by the administration..... it is entirely possible that come January 2019, the US will have a House and Senate controlled by the Democrats.
That is about as likelly as you voting against one of your faggot baby murderers that you like so much. The Democrats the party of thieves murderers and sex perverts.
"Likelly"??? (who is Li Kelly??? ) I give you my word, I will only vote AGAINST the Republican in any race at any level for the foreseeable future. I will vote FOR any candidate that offers the best chance of winning against the Republican candidate. Would you define "sex pervert" as a man who engages in sex outside of marriage with a woman who earns her living as a porn actress??? or would you definethat individual as a degenerate?
I hope not. I’m still solidly with Trump, I’ve noted that, against a gradient of massive resistance, Trump has actually advanced the ball. I know I’m never going to get everything I want, but he seems very determinedl, and I appreciate that.
No that wouldn't be perverted. It would be adultry. We're you lying or did you really not know what perverts meant?
Saccone was the Republicans version of Hilliary. Vegetarians eat vegetables. Beware of humanitarians!
Don't you just love it when they can't even insinuate correctly? Vegetarians eat vegetables. Beware of humanitarians!
Donnell Trump backed Hillary & Saccone and they both lost. He said they were wonderful, great even. Now the Trump Snowflakes are crying because their libtard candidates lost. They're whining like Al Gore, count every vote! Lamb is a former Marine and a Democrat. Sounds like an oxymoron 'cept it ain't. The military isn't what it used to be. The former "Marine" in my family--roughly the same age as Lamb, is a freaking mess. Two tours in Afghanistan but came back without as much as a suntan. Was on base the whole time. Desk job. An obnoxious bully who lives off the government tit. A screaming liberal on everything including handing the entire country over to the illegal aliens. You can't make this stuff up. The millenials will sink Trump's presidency before anyone else does. And how the hell do you get a deadlocked vote in a solidly Republican district anyway? Crossover voters?
Correct, degenerate it is.
Worse than that.... Rick Saccone, the Pennsylvania Republican who calls himself "Trump before Trump,"
Republicans said their tax cuts would help them win elections.
#2. To: Willie Green (#0)
With an unpopular Republican president in office, and a wave of Democratic enthusiasm, Democrats think they have a shot to take back the House. And this race certainly gives them some encouragement.
#3. To: Vicomte13 (#1)
If the Republicans had moved on THAT, they couldn't lose. Now they might. They blocked Trump, and now the people will stay home and give the Congress back to the Democrats.
#4. To: Vicomte13 (#1)
So, now Republicans want to run on their tax cut. Thing is, their tax cut really isn't much of a tax cut for most - and it gives back a great deal of middle class tax benefit, while extended vast new benefits to the upper class.
#5. To: Jameson (#4)
it is entirely possible that come January 2019, the US will have a House and Senate controlled by the Democrats.
#6. To: A K A Stone (#5)
That is about as likelly as you voting against one of your faggot baby murderers that you like so much.
#7. To: Jameson (#4)
(Edited)
#8. To: Jameson (#6)
Would you define "sex pervert" as a man who engages in sex outside of marriage with a woman who earns her living as a porn actress???
#9. To: All (#0)
#10. To: A K A Stone (#8)
No that wouldn't be perverted. It would be adultery.
#11. To: CZ82, progressive neocon snowflake meltdown, amnesty don, the gun grabbing libtard (#9)
Saccone was the Republicans version of Hilliary.
Republican group promises legal fight to contest 18th District special election results in Lamb-Saccone race
#12. To: hondo68 (#11)
#13. To: A K A Stone (#8)
No that wouldn't be perverted.
#14. To: CZ82 (#9)
Saccone was the Republicans version of Hilliary.
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