Republicans are increasingly concerned that the controversy over Rep. Marjorie Taylor Green (R-Ga.) Could define the party and its candidates in the midterms of 2022, turning GOP’s attempts to regain support from suburban voters a wrench.
Democrats have already been addressed about the outrage surrounding Greene. The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee on Tuesday launched a six-figure ad campaign linking Republicans to the QAnon conspiracy theory, which Greene has expressed support for in the past, while Speaker Nancy Pelosi
Nancy Pelosi Man Seen With Pelosi Nameplate Sued Over Capitol Riot Republicans Worried Greene May Drag Party In Suburbs Claudia Tenney Wins New York House Race MORE (D-Calif.) Referred to Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy
Kevin McCarthy Republicans Concern Greene Could Be a Suburban Party Claudia Tenney Wins New York House Race New Democratic Super PAC Targets Swing District Republicans to Reverse Elections (R-Calif.) As “Q-CA” in a press release on Wednesday.
On Thursday, Democratic group House Majority Forward released an ad accusing McCarthy of warmly embracing “the QAnon Caucus,” after the California Republican indicated he would not punish Greene for her earlier comments.
‘I don’t think anyone will vote against Brian Kemp
Brian Kemp Republicans Worry Greene Could Be a Suburban Party Pass the Bailout – With or Without Republicans Stacey Abrams Nominated for Nobel Peace Prize MORE because of what this woman 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 want to get a head start on what will likely be tight midterm elections. The party has a small majority in the House and Senate. And the party in charge of the White House has historically lost seats in the government’s first midterm elections.
Both parties see the suburbs in particular as crucial in their quest to win. Republicans struggled to gain favor with voters in suburban enclaves across the country thanks to former President Trump
Donald Trump Twitter Permanently Suspends Account of Founder of Gateway Pundit Wyoming Republican Party Condemns Cheney Over Vote Over Trump’s Impeachment Trump Access to Intelligence Briefings Will Be Determined by Officials, White House Sayslow preferred ratings in those areas.
Now that the Democrats want to make Greene the face of her party, she has aligned herself even more closely with Trump. At a press conference on Friday, she argued that the party is “ his, ” something that will likely cause some Republicans concern about the party’s chances in the suburbs heading into 2022.
She’s part of the Republican Conference, now a famous part. That can’t be good for Republicans, ”said Bill Kristol, a conservative critic of President Trump and director of Defending Democracy Together.
Others say the controversy surrounding Greene is an annoyance to the party, which is working to navigate Washington into its new minority status.
It’s a distraction. It’s something you don’t necessarily want to deal with, ”said Georgia-based Republican strategist Jay Williams.
Greene has expressed support for the far-right QAnon conspiracy theory and has suggested that a number of school shootings and the 9/11 terror attacks took place. Video surfaced late last month of Greene following Parkland survivor and activist David Hogg on Capitol Hill after the school shooting.
In addition, last month CNN uncovered a number of Facebook posts that seemed to show that Greene expressed support for violence against Democrats before running for Congress. Greene called the network’s reporting a “hit.”
Despite intense backlash against Greene from Democrats and some Republicans, McCarthy declined to take Greene’s committee assignments away during a closed Republican conference meeting Wednesday.
The House voted 230-199 on Thursday to strip Greene of her committee assignments, with 11 Republicans joining the Democratic ranks to take action against the first-term Congressman.
Despite the minor display of duality, most Republicans, including GOP Caucus Chairman Liz Cheney
Elizabeth (Liz) Lynn Cheney Wyoming Republican Party Condemns Cheney Over Trump Impeaching Vote Republicans Worry Greene May Drag Party Into Suburbs Sunday Show Preview: Budget Resolution Paves Way for 0.9 Trillion Stimulus; Senate gears up for MORE impeachment trial (Wy.), Voted against the measure, but condemned Greene’s earlier comments.
Democrats quickly beat Republicans after the vote, with Pelosi’s office issuing a statement headline “GOP is quickly turning into GQP with strong support for Greene.”
The controversy appears to have cost Greene national favor ratings. A FiveThirtyEight poll released on Friday showed Greene with a favorable rating of 15 percent and an unfavorable rating of 37 percent.
But Greene is viewed differently in the staunchly conservative 14th Congressional District she represents in Georgia. She came first in the Republican primaries in June and then defeated a Republican neurosurgeon in the second round by 14 points.
Republicans say the backlash against Greene will ultimately not hurt the party’s chances of winning back the House next year, which would only build on the gains made in 2020.
“They don’t look at it that way,” said Kristol. “They won seats in 2020. They don’t think they are in terrible shape.”
But others argue that Republicans have lost important senate-level voting groups in states like Georgia due to conspiracy theories about the results of the presidential election.
“It was crazy conspiracy theories that cost us the refugees in Georgia, and Greene is not helping,” said a Republican strategist working on Senate races. Look, it’s not a death knell for Republicans. People aren’t going to base their votes entirely on one freshman. But candidates will be asked for it and that doesn’t help. “
Republicans say Greene lacks the power and influence to make an impact on Congress, adding that she likely won’t be a top issue for candidates by 2022, given the nature of the ever-changing news cycle.
They try to make it sound like she’s Kevin McCarthy. It’s not the same, ”said Williams. She is not the speaker or leader of a minority. She is a freshman member.
“We didn’t even have the coronavirus two years ago, man. It will be a completely different world [by the time the midterms come around], ”he added.