Republicans Aren't Winning...Trump Is

The GOP needs to figure out how to win once the Trump era ends

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Tuesday was a very important litmus test for New America. With a razor-thin margin in the House and an unprecedented agenda to push through, every election cycle is an important one. Tuesday’s special elections in Florida and Wisconsin were no different.

Both have deep implications for Trump’s agenda and the ability of Congress to assist that agenda. A decisive win for Republicans would have solidified the marked cultural/political shift we experienced in November.

It wasn’t decisive at all. It was a loss in Wisconsin (the SCOTUS race…they did approve voter i.d.) and a far-too-close win for the Florida contingent. In a state that has become the crown jewel of Republican politics, winning a contested seat by single digits is a warning sign, not a victory.

These are all signs that the electorate is responding to Donald Trump, not Republican policies. That is because Trump is a populist President and MAGA is a populist movement. By its very nature, it is bipartisan. That’s great for winning, not so great for continued winning. At some point, if we do this part right, we’ll all go back to our corners and start arguing about the usual divisions again.

That will be a necessary schism. Populism will pull the party leftward, eventually. That’s a bridge we can cross when we get there. In the meantime, Republicans need to be deliberate about figuring out this electorate, what they want and why they’re voting. They need to replicate what’s winning and determine how to retain voters who aren’t typically comfortable with party politics.

What we have been given is a respite, not an end to the war. The war rages on, and any war planner worth his salt will look to the battles ahead as he is waging the ones in front of him.

The Republican party needs to push out the business-as-usual establishment types who are just trying to wait out the Trump era. We’re winning now because Trump is winning, but we are barely winning. Tuesday’s results prove Republicans are running on Trump’s fumes right now. What will happen to the party when the fuel has retired?

What are people voting for? What are they asking for? What is it about the Trump agenda that excites voters and can be retained by Republicans moving forward? Perhaps the fact that Wisconsin voters also approved voter i.d. in this cycle is a big clue.

I’d love to hear your thoughts. I’ll leave the comments open on this article (this is typically a privilege for subscribers). Chime in!

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