Since 2016, Democrats have claimed the “greatest threat to our democracy” to be Donald Trump, so why would they pour upwards of $100,000,000 into GOP primaries to help Trump-endorsed candidates? One of their GOP targets, anti-Trump Peter Meijer, just lost Michigan’s 3rd District GOP primary to John Gibbs, who was both Trump-backed and the beneficiary of $435,000 from the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC). Hmmm.
Before his loss, Meijer penned an op-ed, explaining Democrat “conventional wisdom dictates that these extreme candidates are less electable than the normal Republicans Democrats targeted to defeat.” So, imagine his ire after voting to impeach Trump, supporting Speaker Pelosi’s hand-picked January 6 committee, and being praised by Majority Leader Steny Hoyer for “an impressive display of courage and integrity” on national TV.
And, Meijer wasn’t a one-of moderate Republican target: $100,000 in Maryland’s gubernatorial primary, $4,000,000 in Colorado’s senate primary, and $35,000,000 in Illinois’s gubernatorial primary. Further, Democrats are all too happy to talk about the strategy.
Rep. Ruben Gallego (AZ) explained that “politics ain’t beanbag” on Twitter. January 6 Committee member Jamie Raskin (MD) told The Hill that “in politics we all have dirty hands up to our elbows – nobody’s pure.” DCCC chair Sean Maloney confessed on MSNBC that “it’s not just about Trump.” January 6 Committee member Elaine Luria (VA) justified the tactics to Axios: “(the) overwhelming majority of Republican candidates lie to their voters, including every single one of my primary opponents.”
That antipathy is what galls all Republicans and helps Trump hold onto about 40% of the party. The evidence is real and not easily forgiven.
In 2016, Crooked Hillary was created by Hillary’s erased emails and Bill’s secret meeting with the attorney general. In response, Republicans held their noses and voted for Trump. The Antifa riots and Resistance “insurance policy” only made Democrats look worse (74 million Republican votes suggest as much). After pro-Biden lawyers used COVID in 2020 to loosen election laws in swing states, most Republicans say that benefitted Biden.
Without proof, not even 10,000 attended the Stop The Steal rally and not even 1,000 rioted inside the Capitol. In other words, not even 1% of the GOP heeded Trump’s call. Republicans know that, and still Biden proclaims they are “the most extreme party” and an “existential threat” to America and “on the side of Bull Connor.” As if that’s not bad enough, now Democrats have tampered with GOP primaries.
Split-ticket Republicans and independent voters must decide what’s worse: un-elected Trump voters trying to reverse the past through senseless violence, or elected Democrats trying to affect the future by spending millions on Trump-endorsed candidates? They are both wrong, but only the former has been arrested – and forsaken by Trump.
They are both wrong, but only the latter has power, money, no fear of arrest – and plays with fire (the “extreme” Republican might win). Remember this when Democrats lose Congress in November and they claim “extreme Republicans will kill our democracy” on CNN and MSNBC. Democrats voted for and funded “extreme” Republicans this summer.