A good reminder that November 3rd is still a ways away...
What 9 GOP Campaign Consultants Really Think About Republicans’ Chances in November
www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-features/trump-reelection-chances-2020-house-senate-candidates-biden-1024862/
...A different consultant said: “My candidate didn’t vote for Trump. But we’re running ads right now about being a big Trump supporter,” because in that district “drap[ing] yourself in Trump is still a good decision.”
This view is so widespread that when asked, all of the consultants but two said they haven’t even had a conversation about the possibility of distancing from Trump with any of their candidates or campaign teams. Another put it this way: “The idea of distancing, if it’s discussed, it’s discussed very quietly, it’s discussed one-on-one. You wouldn’t talk about it on a conference call…maybe someone would, but let’s just say it hasn’t happened yet and I’m on a lot of those calls.”
Sit with that for a second. The idea of separating from Trump is so verboten in GOP circles that the best consultants won’t even talk about talking about doing it in mixed company, for fear of being stigmatized, and thus losing potential client work on other campaigns.
Some offered that the calculus might change in the fall, when their backs are against the wall. “We’ll probably get to Labor Day before any chess pieces are moved on the board.” But for now they are paralyzed by the experiences of 2016, when Trump rose from the dead several times, only to make those who challenged him weaker politically. So if anyone is expecting the rats to start jumping off the sinking ship, they better be patient.
In the meantime these strategists are left with the same strategy they’ve spent three years honing: Hope & Hiding.
“But if we get to fall and unemployment is in single digits and Dow over 30k he’s going to get reelected,” one said. “That’s why you don’t want to jump out right now and separate yourself because in the Fall the whole world will be different.”...