Republicans are increasingly concerned that the controversy over rep. Marjorie Taylor Green (R-Ga.) Could define the party and its candidates by mid-2022 and throw a wrench into GOP efforts to regain the support of suburban voters.
Democrats have already jumped on the bandwagon surrounding Greene. The Democratic congressional campaign committee on Tuesday launched a six-figure advertising campaign linking Republicans to the QAnon conspiracy theory, for which Greene has voiced support in the past, while the speaker Nancy Pelosi
Nancy Pelosi Missouri man seen with Pelosi nameplate charged in connection with Capitol riot Republicans are worried Greene could party in suburbs Claudia Tenney wins race in New York House MORE (D-California) refers to minority leader Kevin McCarthy
Kevin McCarthy Republicans are worried Greene could pull a party in the suburbs Claudia Tenney wins the New York House race, the new Democratic super-PAC, to elect the Republicans from the Swing district to reverse the election. (R-Calif.) As ‘Q-CA’ Wednesday in a press release.
The Democratic group House Majority Forward on Thursday released an ad in which it accused McCarthy of embracing ‘the QAnon caucus’ after the Republican in California indicated he did not want to punish Greene for her comments from the past. .
‘I do not think anyone is going to vote against Brian Kemp
Brian Kemp Republicans are worried Greene could hold a party on the outskirts. Take in the rescue bill – with or without Republicans, Stacey Abrams nominated for Nobel Peace Prize MORE because of what this woman has said in the past, but will it be used to try to paint a negative picture? “Yes,” said Chuck Clay, a former chairman of the Republican Party of Georgia.
The early strategy shows that the Democrats are looking for an edge on what is likely to be a tough midterm election. The party has narrow majorities in the House and Senate. And the party in charge of the White House has historically lost seats during the government’s first midterm elections.
Both parties in particular see the suburbs as crucial in their efforts to win. Republicans have struggled to win favor among voters in suburban enclaves across the country thanks to former President Trump
Donald Trump Twitter suspends account of Gateway Pundit founder permanently condemns Wyoming Republican Party over Cheney’s accusation Vote Trump’s access to information on briefings will be determined by officials, the White House said: report MORE‘s low favorite ratings in those areas.
While Democrats are now trying to make Greene the face of her party, she has joined Trump even more closely. At a news conference Friday, she argued that the party “belongs to him,” something that is likely to spark some Republicans’ concerns about the party’s chances in the 2022 suburbs.
‘She’s part of the Republican conference, a well-known part now. That can not be good for the Republicans, “said Bill Kristol, a Conservative critic of President Trump and director of Defending Democracy Together.
Others say the controversy surrounding Greene amounts to an annoyance for the party that is navigating Washington in its new minority status.
“It’s a distraction. “This is something you do not necessarily want to deal with,” said Republican strategist Jay-Georgia Jay Williams.
Greene expressed her support for the far-right QAnon conspiracy theory and suggested that a number of shooting incidents at the school and the 9/11 terrorist attacks took place. Video surfaced at the end of last month of Greene chasing Parkland survivor and activist David Hogg on Capitol Hill and stuttering after the school shooting.
On top of that, CNN last month discovered a number of Facebook posts that appear to have Greene voicing support for violence against Democrats before running for Congress. Greene calls the network’s reporting a ‘hit’.
Despite the intense backlash against Greene from Democrats and some Republicans, McCarthy did not want to take away the duties of Greene’s committee during a closed Republican conference meeting Wednesday.
The House on Thursday voted 230-199 to deprive Greene of her committee duties, with 11 Republicans joining the Democratic ranks to take action against the congresswoman in the first term.
Despite the small bipartisanship, most Republicans, including the GOP caucus chairman, Liz Cheney
Elizabeth (Liz) Lynn CheneyWyoming Republican Party condemns Cheney over Trump accusation vote Republicans are worried Greene could dress the party in the suburbs Sunday preview: Budget resolution paves way for 0.9 trillion stimulus; Senate prepares for indictment (Wy.), Vote against the measure, but condemn Greene’s comments from the past.
Democrats quickly hit Republicans after the vote, and Pelosi’s office issued a statement with the headline “GOP rushes into the GQP with strong support for Greene.”
The controversy has apparently cost Greene in national favorite ratings. In a poll by FiveThirtyEight released Friday, Greene is with a favorable rating of 15 percent and unfavorable rating of 37 percent.
But Greene is viewed differently in the strongly conservative 14th Congress district she represents in Georgia. She won first place in the Republican primary in June and then defeated a Republican neurosurgeon by 14 points.
Republicans say the setback against Greene will ultimately not hurt the party’s chances of winning back the House next year, which will only build on the gains made in 2020.
“That’s not how they look at it,” Kristol said. ‘They won seats in 2020. They do not think they are in a horrible shape. ‘
But others argue that Republicans have lost important Senate-level voting groups in states like Georgia because of conspiracy theories about the presidential election results.
“It was cunning conspiracy theories that cost us the run-down to Georgia, and Greene is not helping with that,” said a Republican strategist working on the Senate games. “Look, this is not a death knell for Republicans. People are not going to base their vote entirely on one first year. But candidates are going to be asked about it, and it does not help. ”
Republicans say Greene does not have the power and influence to make an impact on Congress, adding that she is unlikely to be a top issue for candidates in 2022, given the nature of the ever-changing news cycle.
“They’re trying to make it sound like she’s Kevin McCarthy. It is not the same, ”Williams said. ‘She’s not the Speaker or minority leader. She is this first year member.
‘Two years ago we did not even have a coronavirus, man. It’s going to be a whole other world [by the time the midterms come around], “he added.