I guess Glenn Greenwald is recognizing that his pro-Russian position may no longer be tenable. Greenwald's co-founded online magazine, The Intercept, has allowed former military intelligence beat writer for the NY Times, James Risen, to pen this essay. And it looks like Risen is going to be writing a multipart series for The Intercept.
This is fun. We are now seeing a normalizing of thinking of Trump as at least possibly being a traitor. Time to start those Richard Nixon engines: Are you now or ever been a supporter of Trump?
And to Trump-supporting Republicans in public office: Why are you part of the pro-Russian internationalist conspiracy to undermine America?
Ah, yes. This new bag of popcorn. So fresh. So tasty.
For those students of political science who study elections and election campaigns: This is not about convincing your addled right wing uncle talking about protecting his gun arsenal, even though, if your addled uncle tried firing a shotgun, the recoil would break one of his shoulders. Nope. This is not about them--even as you can have some fun accusing them of being anti-American, anti-FBI and anti-CIA. God, that is fun! Hmmm...Anyway...
Instead, this is about convincing swing voters in a mid-term election and getting out the vote of your natural constituencies in a mid-term election. This is how Republican operatives have analyzed and strategized elections for so many decades starting during the Cold War. They recognize the swing vote consists of people who do not follow "politics" and can get riled up on any number of cultural and emotionally-based political issues.
Back in the Cold War, Republican campaign strategists perfected the hyped up fears of international atheistic Communism--and Communists hiding under your bed. Then, in the 1990s and 2000s, Republican campaign strategists rolled out gay phobias (note: there is a belief the Ohio and other States vote in the 2004 presidential election may have been affected positively for Republicans starting with GW Bush on anti-gay marriage initiatives Republicans pushed in those states, which pulled out more conservative voters in otherwise more liberal parts of those relatively few states, and ensured a razor thin official win in Ohio for President Bush. Had even only Ohio gone for Kerry, there would have been a different electoral college outcome). As we have seen, however, gay bashing no longer works...as too many Republican families had gay children or siblings and it became more and more uncomfortable to deny their existence.
But don't worry, Republican stalwarts: Republican strategists still have those perennial fodders for fear: guns and illegal immigrants.
But don't worry, Republican stalwarts: Republican strategists still have those perennial fodders for fear: guns and illegal immigrants.
Illegal immigration remains the main perennial favorite with white, aging Baby Boomers, male and female, and is something to watch as this year's elections unfold.
As for guns, perhaps this last school shooting in Florida will be a turning point away from the inflammatory rhetoric about fears of gun confiscation, and the NRA being exposed as a money-laundering foil for Putin's Russia. However, my take is old, deep habits die hard. If Democratic Party strategists are smart, they will tell their candidates or activists not to bother trying to convince the relatively few gun lovers. It is better to concentrate on swing voters who recognize sensible gun related legislation, and stay with that. It seems to have worked for Doug Jones in Alabama, though again one must caution against over-interpreting those results against a demented Republican candidate like Roy Moore.
As for guns, perhaps this last school shooting in Florida will be a turning point away from the inflammatory rhetoric about fears of gun confiscation, and the NRA being exposed as a money-laundering foil for Putin's Russia. However, my take is old, deep habits die hard. If Democratic Party strategists are smart, they will tell their candidates or activists not to bother trying to convince the relatively few gun lovers. It is better to concentrate on swing voters who recognize sensible gun related legislation, and stay with that. It seems to have worked for Doug Jones in Alabama, though again one must caution against over-interpreting those results against a demented Republican candidate like Roy Moore.
Ahem. Enough of that. Let's just focus on the simple fact that using culturally based and politically based issues to attract a sufficient number of swing voters has been how Republican operatives, for nearly eighty years, since the beginning of the Cold War, have helped the Republican Party to remain not only competitive, but often dominant when the Party's economic and political platform has rarely had the majority of the public on its side.
But, now, and here in 2018, progressive ideas, cultural, economic, and even political (the latter in terms of same day registration, run off voting, etc.) have the support of a majority of adult age Americans. It is now time for Democratic Party strategists to stop their Bernie-bashing ways and realize enough Americans are excited about any number of issues from economics to the environment to cultural issues, etc. from what may be called a progressive perspective.
And related to this is the story of "Traitor Trump" and his enablers of "treason." The so-called Russia-gate story should be included in the strategic mix as we may reach a point where the difference between electoral victory and loss could include those swing voters who vote for Democrats against perceived treason-enablers in the Republican Party.
