Are Republicans Tired of All the Losing? - WSJ Editorial

[question everything]

Democrats are buoyant about their Tuesday night election showing, and why not? They handed Republicans another drubbing with their twin issue set of abortion rights and fear and loathing of the MAGAGOP. Republicans have a brand perception problem.

(snip)

Abortion was also important in Kentucky, where Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear cruised to re-election in a state Mr. Trump carried by more than 25 points in 2020. Gov. Beshear styles himself as a moderate, and he ran ads suggesting the GOP would force rape survivors to give birth to their attacker’s children. Republican candidate Daniel Cameron offered inconsistent answers about which abortion exceptions he’d support, in a high-wire act of trying to placate different parts of the electorate. He also touted Mr. Trump’s endorsement to win the GOP primary, but Mr. Beshear used that to peel away non-MAGA GOP voters.

(snip)

The sobering message for Republicans is that they’re losing on abortion, and the choices are unpalatable compromises or more nights in the political wilderness. The results suggest that the GOP’s Nikki Haley, who has said that a federal 15-week limit on abortion is political fantasy, is right if the GOP is going to win among suburbanites and independents.

(snip)

But elections, not polls, are the measure of political success, and Republicans have the bigger problem. Mr. Trump’s partisans often claim he is realigning the party to include more working-class voters. That’s true, but so far that has been more than offset by the flight of moderates and suburban women from the GOP. Republicans lost or did worse than expected in 2018, 2020, 2022 and again in 2023. That won’t change until Republican voters finally get tired of all the losing.

https://archive.li/XYd0E

[not a texan]

1. Looks like the Trump brand ain't worth squat

He tells us it makes his properties worth so much more just having his name associated with them. Looks like his brand actually has a negative impact. Hope you enjoy prison MFer

[SouthBayDem]

2. Brand perception? How about policy? nt

[LuvLoogie]

4. Right?

You can call shit Shinola. But it's still shit.

[swong19104]

15. What was Sarah Palin's quote?

"Lipstick on a pig..." or something like that.

[The_Casual_Observer]

12. It's not perception, it's a sad fact.

[aggiesal]

3. There's an old addage that says ...

If your opponent is making mistakes, get out of their way and let them continue.

[swong19104]

16. I prefer to goad them into hyperdrive

We ain't got time for them to nickel and dime us to death with their mistakes. We need them to make huge-ass whoppers that really hurt their base.

Luckily, it's not that difficult to push them over the precipice.

[Clearheadsam]

5. Realigning the party to include more working class

voters? Trump? I think he loses more especially because the success of labor unions.

[usonian]

6. Not finished yet.

[PortTack]

7. Apparently not!

[qwlauren35]

8. they are REALLY missing it.

Republican voters aren't tired of losing. Voters don't agree with the Republican platform.

[ancianita]

9. They probably are, but their corporate owner/donors will not let them & will live beyond them; so they'd rather

get paid than get dispensed with. That's what's going on. And they know it.

Americans should never again confuse the fascist republican commitment to losing with politics -- their losing is part of the inter-generational war of corporations to run this country without consent of the governed.

[Warpy]

10. Not enough to realize how WRONG they've been on everything

from abortion to the economy to deciding what books other peiople's children are allowed to read.

Time to beat them back and beat them down and not only get them out of power, keep them out of power.

They want to turn this country into Russia. I think they should just move to Russia.

[calimary]

11. It's denial. TOTAL denial. Their way has Just GOTTA work one of these days.

It’s Just GOTTA work!

And they’ll just keep on pushing their fool-and-idiot ideas on an America that mostly disagrees and doesn’t want ‘em. Fine with me.

It doesn’t seem to have occurred to them that maybe it’s THEIR IDEAS and THEIR POSITIONS that are being consistently rejected.

They keep proving one thing true: nobody wants to admit they were wrong. Can’t do that! That’s showing WEAKNESS!!!

[Grins]

13. The GOP will do another "autopsy.."

- It will point out all the Party’s flaws.
- The same flaws the WSJ Editorial board knew of and ignored for years.
- It will present logical solutions.
- It will be endlessly discussed and debated in all media.
- Then it will be carefully put away forever, never to see a single recommendation enacted.
- Because the problem is not just the GOP’s “message.”
- It’s about Republicans, people, who hate everything the nation is about. People who don’t give a shit!
- And they ain’t changing!!!

[Lanius]

14. Republicans are between a rock and a hard place, and I love it.

Republicans have two choices: either stay extreme on abortion or moderate on the issue. The former will drive away everyone but the right-wing fundies. The latter, however, might keep some moderates but will cost the GOP those right-wing evangelicals.

The GOP made a gamble in aligning itself with the Christo-facsists back in the late 70s and early 80s. That decision is coming back to haunt them. It makes me believe that Republicans were confident that Roe v Wade would never actually be overturned, and that they could run against it for the rest of time.

[Moostache]

17. Well, hell is not YET frozen over...

I do NOT yet wish to say to Donald Trump "I'm tired of all the winning."

[onecaliberal]

18. It does not seem so.

[homegirl]

19. Is it too late?

IS IT POSSIBLE TO PREVENT THE DEATH OF THE REPUBLICAN PARTY?

The ineffective, dangerous alliance of the GOP/Trump/MAGA political alliance has brought the Republican party to the brink of extinction. Recent loses in national and local elections tell the story.

If the two party system of government in the USA is to survive the country must have a functioning Republican party with a political platform to present to the voters. One that is responsive to election outcomes and the needs of all Americans.

Mr. Trump and his MAGA followers have rung the death knell for the GOP. The combined strikes of legal actions and the obvious mental and emotional deterioration of Mr. Trump is driving large financial donors away from the party! And as evidenced by recent voter response to the Supreme Court Dobbs Decision provided an abundance of video clips of Mr. Trump on the wrong side of the issue!

Will the GOP cut ties with Mr. Trump and his followers before it is too late?

[question everything]

20. I wonder if they care. Too many voters just want Trump. Remember shooting on 5th Ave?

They don’t care about his plans or policies. Right now his “policy” is revenge. Anyone who disagrees get booed.

The more indictments the higher the support.

There has to be a concentrated effort by many Rs to travel the country to talk to R voters perhaps include a local respected R to change their mind and take the consequences.