Republicans fear Greene will party in the suburbs

Republicans are increasingly concerned that the controversy over Rep. Marjorie Taylor Green (R-Ga.) Could define the party and its 2022 midterm candidates, throwing a wrench in the GOP’s efforts to win back support from suburban voters.

Democrats have already jumped at the outrage surrounding Greene. The Congressional Democratic Campaign Committee on Tuesday launched a six-figure advertising campaign linking Republicans to the QAnon conspiracy theory, for which Greene has expressed support in the past, while the president Nancy PelosiNancy Pelosi Missouri man seen with Pelosi nameplate accused in connection with Capitol Riot Republicans fear Greene will be dragged to suburban party Claudia Tenney wins race at New York House MORE (D-Calif.) Referred to Minority Leader Kevin mccarthyKevin McCarthy Republicans fear Greene will be dragged into party in suburbs Claudia Tenney wins race for New York House New Democratic Party super PAC to target swing neighborhood Republicans rather than vote to cancel election MORE (R-Calif.) As “Q-CA” in a press release Wednesday.

Democratic House Majority Forward on Thursday released an ad accusing McCarthy of warmly embracing “the QAnon Caucus,” after the California Republican signaled he did not want to punish Greene for his past comments.

“I don’t think anyone will vote against Brian kempBrian Kemp Republicans fear Greene will be dragged to the party in the suburbs. because of what this woman has said in the past, but will it be used to try to paint a negative picture? Yeah, ”said Chuck Clay, a former Chairman of the Georgia Republican Party.

The initial strategy shows Democrats are looking to get a head start on what will likely be a tight midterm election. The party holds narrow majorities in the House and Senate. And the party that controls the White House has historically lost seats ahead of the administration’s first midterm elections.

Both sides see the suburbs in particular as crucial in their efforts to win. Republicans have struggled to win favor with voters in suburban enclaves across the country thanks to the former President TrumpDonald TrumpTwitter Permanently Suspends Account of Gateway Founder Pundit Republican Party of Wyoming Censors Cheney for Trump Impeachment Vote Trump’s access to intelligence briefings will be determined by officials, says White House: report MORElow favorability scores in these areas.

Now, as Democrats seek 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 “belonged to her,” which is likely to fuel concerns among some Republicans about the party’s chances in the suburbs as 2022 approaches.

“She’s part of the Republican Conference, a famous party now. It can’t be good for Republicans, ”said Bill Kristol, conservative critic of President Trump and director of Defending Democracy Together.

Others say the controversy around Greene amounts to annoyance for the party, which is working to lead Washington to its new minority status.

“It’s a distraction. It’s something you don’t necessarily want to deal with, ”Georgia-based Republican strategist Jay Williams said.

Greene expressed support for the far-right QAnon conspiracy theory and suggested that a number of school shootings and the 9/11 terrorist attacks were staged. Video surfaced late last month of Greene following and heckling Parkland survivor and activist David Hogg on Capitol Hill after the school shooting.

On top of that, CNN uncovered a number of Facebook posts last month that appeared to show Greene had expressed support for violence against Democrats before running for Congress. Greene called the network’s report a “centerpiece.”

Despite the intense backlash against Greene from Democrats and some Republicans, McCarthy refused to remove Greene’s duties from the committee during a closed-door Republican conference meeting Wednesday.

The House voted on Thursday 230-91 to strip Greene of her committee duties, with 11 Republicans joining the Democratic ranks to take action against the first-term MP.

Despite the small display of bipartisanship, most Republicans, including the GOP caucus chairperson Liz cheneyElizabeth (Liz) Lynn CheneyWyoming Republican Party censors Cheney over Trump impeachment vote Republicans fear Greene will be dragged into suburban party on Sunday Sneak Peek: Budget Resolution Paves Way for 0.9 Trillion Stimulus; Senate gears up for impeachment trial READ MORE (Wy.), Voted against the measure but condemned Greene’s past comments.

Democrats were quick to hit Republicans after the vote, with Pelosi’s office issuing a statement with the headline “GOP Quickly Turns Into GQP With Strong Support For Greene.”

The controversy appears to have cost Greene the National Favorability Notes. A FiveThirtyEight poll released on Friday showed Greene a favorable rating of 15% and an unfavorable rating of 37%.

But Greene is seen differently in the staunchly conservative 14th congressional district she represents in Georgia. She placed first in the Republican primary in June and beat a Republican neurosurgeon in the second round by 14 points.

Republicans say the backlash against Greene ultimately cannot hurt the party’s chances of winning back the House next year, which would only build on the gains made in 2020.

“That’s not how they see it,” Kristol said. “They won seats in 2020. They don’t think they’re in bad shape.”

But others argue that Republicans have lost key Senate-level voting groups in states like Georgia over conspiracy theories over presidential election results.

“It was some wacky conspiracy theories that cost us the second round in Georgia, and Greene isn’t helping with that,” said a Republican quarterback who works on Senate races. “Look, this is not the death knell for Republicans. People will not base their vote entirely on a freshman. But the candidates are going to be questioned about it and it is not useful.

Republicans say Greene lacks the power and influence to impact Congress, adding that she is unlikely to be a major issue for candidates in 2022 given the nature of the news cycle constantly evolving.

“They’re trying to make it look like she’s Kevin McCarthy. It’s not the same, ”Williams said. “She is neither the President nor the leader of the minority. She’s that first year member.

“Two years ago we didn’t even have coronavirus, man. It’s gonna be a whole different world [by the time the midterms come around],” he added.