GOP frontman and strategist Frank Luntz told CNBC on Wednesday that the Democratic Party’s strong performance in the aftermath of the Georgia Senate gives a clear warning to Republicans.
“Georgia has not had two Democratic senators in decades, but they seem to have chosen it because of their frustration with what’s going on in Washington. This is a lesson to the Republican Party on what is likely to come if they continue to carry it. way, ‘Luntz said on’ Squawk Box ‘.
Raphael Warnock defeated Republican Senator Kelly Loeffler in Tuesday’s runoff election, according to NBC News projections. The other race is too close to call, according to NBC News, as Democrat Jon Ossoff leads David Perdue nail-bitingly with 98% of the vote. Perdue’s term in the Senate expired on Sunday.
If both Democrats win, the party will control the U.S. Senate by a 50-50 split, as Vice President-elect Kamala Harris will serve as a tie-breaker. Democrats already have a majority in the House and will soon occupy the White House after President-elect Joe Biden was sworn in on January 20.
Luntz, who predicted the Democratic victories in Georgia, complimented former government candidate Stacey Abrams and the Democratic Party for his “very impressive” organization in the state. In addition, Luntz said President Donald Trump, who refused to concede to Biden after losing in November, deserves the blame for the GOP’s actions in the aftermath of the Senate.
“You have to hold Donald Trump accountable. Look, he showed up at that final rally and spent half the time on his own race two months ago,” Luntz said, referring to Trump’s Monday night rally in Georgia, during which the outgoing president has vowed to pursue the outcome of the presidential election and repeat false allegations of widespread voter fraud.
“At some point, you have to face the American people and acknowledge reality,” Luntz said. The pollster claims that it would have helped the IDP to do so before the end of the Senate in Georgia. Instead, it has led to rifts among the party, with some members of Congress supporting Trump’s election campaign, and others trying to distance themselves from it.
The divisions among Republicans are likely to be fully exposed on Wednesday when Congress convenes to confirm the results of the Electoral College, which shows a Biden victory. Many Republicans intend to object to election votes in key states, even as Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-KY, has strongly opposed.
“As an opinion pollster, as a researcher and as a communications specialist, I know how much damage the Republican Party’s brand is going to inflict today,” Luntz said. “I think tomorrow the GOP will be in a much worse position nationwide than today.”
More generally, Luntz said elected officials in Washington should take into account the November election results – and the strong Democratic performance in Georgia – that voters want less partisan scholarship and more legislative action. He noted, for example, that Republicans, despite Trump’s loss to Biden, actually won seats in the House.
“The public talked: work together. Get things done. Stop being so political and start putting people in front of politics,” Luntz said. “The American people do not want the College of Elections thrown out. The American people believe that Joe Biden won the election. The American people want to move on. The American people are struggling. They are nervous about Covid-19 … They want progress must be done now, ‘he added.