The GOP insists on the Democratic nomination with the withdrawal of O & # 39; Rourke

A prominent conservative group is investing in the Democratic primary with a television ad stalking Beto O'Rourke. This decision came as Republicans envisioned a wider campaign to interfere in the opposition party's race against President Donald Trump.

The Anti-Tax Club for Growth is set to begin broadcasting a two-minute ad in Iowa this week to curb Liberal support for O'Rourke, who is expected to compete in the all-day race. The place describes the former Texas congressman as a politician dripping from "white men's privilege, "which does not deserve the comparisons he calls for Barack Obama.

History continues below

"With a life as charming as his, you can never really lose," the announcement concludes. "That's why Beto is running for president because he can."

The offensive represents the GOP's first concerted effort to wreak havoc on the Democratic race. It happens when the oldest Republicans have begun debating how the party should seek to influence the primary. After the approval of President Donald Trump's work in the 1940s and 1940s, Republicans begin to focus on ensuring that he faces as low a candidate as possible.

The decision to attack O'Rourke, whose spokesperson did not respond to a request for comment, reflects the fear of mobilizing millennial and suburban voters who fueled the takeover of the Democratic House of Commons. 2018 and seriously threaten the re-election of Trump. Republicans would run the risk of losing Texas if O. Rourke was the Democratic flag bearer, said Club for Growth President David McIntosh.

McIntosh said the organization had recently conducted a battlefield state investigation and found O'Rourke just following the president very closely. An appointment to Mr O'Rourke, he warned, could complicate the electoral fate of Republicans when it comes to voting in 2020.

"We watched what he did in Texas during the race against Cruz and we realized that his potential in the Democratic primary system was hugely greater than what people are now giving him. We realized that the potential threat was real because if it's the candidate, Texas suddenly comes into play, "McIntosh said.

The near-defeat of Senator Ted Cruz by O. Rourke last year has made O 'Rourke a famous liberal cause. He would almost certainly participate in the fight for the Democratic nomination as a leading candidate, boasting a national name identifier and a huge, small value fundraising network.

Other Republicans believe that targets for future interference campaigns could go far beyond O'Rourke. At a time when many liberals demand the ideological purity of Democratic nominees, the GOP opposition research group, America Rising, began presenting reporters with articles describing Kamala Harris as a former respected law enforcement attorney. public order and Joe Biden too comfortable with the Republicans.

Trump's re-election campaign plans to send representatives to argue that some Democratic candidates are ideologically out of step with their party. And the super pro Trump America First Action PAC, which recently conducted a survey to find out how Democratic candidates could compete with the Florida president, discussed its potential role.

Then there's the president, who according to his assistants is eager to shape the democratic race through Twitter or at mega-rallies. During phone calls with friends, Trump explained what he sees as the strengths and weaknesses of the candidates.

"The president will offer the most entertaining commentary of the Democratic primary, that's for sure," said Matt Gaetz, Florida's representative, Trump's ally, who discussed the upcoming race between 2020 and the president.

It seems that Trump himself is thinking about how to play in the Democratic race and that his attacks have the maximum efficiency. During an appearance Friday night in front of the main donors of his hotel in Mar-a-Lago, the president lamented that he was taken to Elizabeth Warren too early, according to two people present. He said that he would wait later in the primary to target Democratic candidates.

Robert Blizzard, a leading GOP pollster whose firm collaborates with the Republican National Committee, said the party had innumerable ways to cause damage in the Democratic primary – not just television commercials, but also e-mail and mail campaigns and opposition research.

"The key is to have a Democratic candidate who will be as hated as Hillary Clinton was in 2016," Blizzard said. "The worst thing for the president, is to have a Democratic candidate released unscathed from the primary with independent voters in general elections."

The story of the primary intervention is long and rich in stories, the most famous case being the Missouri Senate race in 2012. Later in the primary, the Democratic Party Claire McCaskill aired a television commercial calling the Republican Todd Akin, the weakest of his potential enemies, "Most Conservative MP Missouri" and "True Conservative Missouri."

The challenge of consolidating Akin's status with Republican primary voters proved effective. Shortly after his appointment, the Akin campaign imploded after inflammatory remarks about the rape.

Not all Republicans think that getting involved in the Democratic race is a good idea. John McLaughlin, a Trump campaign investigator for 2016, said it was far too early to determine who would be an ideal rival of the 2020 Democrats and claimed that the party was at risk of making miscalculations at the time. this stage of the campaign.

Four years ago, Hillary Clinton was very happy that Trump won the Republican primary.

"She wanted Donald Trump and she got it," said McLaughlin. "And she lost to President Trump."

Yet, some Republicans are eager to intervene, including to hurt O'Rourke. Behind the scenes, senior party officials have begun sounding the alarm against Texas, warning that Trump's popularity was having a negative impact in the state and that O'Rourke's candidacy could put him at stake for the first time in decades.

Texas Senator John Cornyn, a Republican who is due to be re-elected next year, is one of those preparing for the fight. In recent weeks, Cornyn's collaborators have collaborated with the RNC to put in place an ambitious field program in the country.

"If Beto is the candidate, I think the temptation will be too great for the Democrats to not spend significant resources in Texas," said Rob Jesmer, one of Cornyn's senior advisers. "And we have to match their efforts. If we do, we will win and if we do not, it will be dangerous for everyone.

Club for Growth officials said they are spending about five digits for new advertising and that this would be part of a one – year effort to undermine O'Rourke with Democratic primary voters.

McIntosh alluded to the strategy at a recent Club for Growth retreat at The Breakers in Palm Beach, telling key donors that the group was closely following the democratic evolution. The group then worked on creating O 'Rourke's advertising.

"I think it's educate [Democratic] voters on the choice they want to make, "McIntosh said," on their criteria. "