Democrats and the mainstream media are in celebration over the GOP’s apparent defeat in the two Georgia Senate races, which would effectively hand Democrats control of the Senate. In one race, GOP Governor Brian Kemp’s pick Kelly Loeffler lost to Democrat Raphael Warnock, while in the other race incumbent GOP Sen. David Perdue appears on track to lose to Democrat challenger Jon Ossoff.
The topical narrative is certainly cause for celebration on the left – Democrats are on the brink of amassing complete unchecked power in Washington. With Perdue’s official defeat Democrats will control the House, the Senate, and the Presidency, at least until the midterms.
However, the GOP’s defeat in Georgia is less about ‘Georgia going Blue’, or ‘swing voters crossing over to support Democrats’, and more about Georgia conservatives, independents, and Trump loyalists refusal to vote for Loeffler and Perdue.
Turnout rates in rural, white, and Trump-friendly counties are down, while turnout in Democrat-friendly urban areas are nearly as high as they were on November 3rd. Yesterday, MSNBC’s Steve Kornacki warned Republicans that three counties in deep red parts of North Georgia were suffering turnout rates 15% or so below the rest of the state.
Not only do many conservatives question the integrity of another election with copious mail-in voting, but many also oppose Perdue and Loeffler, who they perceive as disloyal to Trump and the America First credo.
Republicans, conservatives, and independents, are no longer willing to vote for any candidate with an ‘R’ next to his or her name. Instead, Trump populists are demanding a party that represents the working class, rejects globalism, and puts American interests first.
Less than a month ago at the ‘Million MAGA March’ in DC to stand up for Trump, a crowd of self-declared America First loyalists chanted, “Destroy the GOP! Destroy the GOP!” To many conservatives, the two Georgia Senate candidates were a far cry from genuine America First Trump loyalists, despite their lukewarm promises to support Trump’s claim to Georgia.
Kelly Loeffler, who Republican Governor Brian Kemp appointed to fill Senator Johnny Isakson’s seat, is mistrusted by many conservatives who question her principles and loyalty to Trump. Loeffler was rumored not to be Trump’s first choice, with the former President allegedly preferring Rep. Doug Collins to fill the seat. It is not lost on Georgia conservatives that Loeffler is Governor Kemp’s pick, and Kemp has found himself in the unfortunate position of enduring Trump’s wrath. Kemp has been branded a RINO by Trump, who recently called for Kemp’s resignation, calling the Republican Governor an “obstructionist who refuses to admit we won Georgia”.
Perdue has also been branded by many as a RINO Republican, and his refusal to debate his opponent Jon Ossoff at an Atlanta Press Club debate only solidified the spineless image.
As Market Research Foundation pointed out last week, loyalty to the GOP of old is in the gutter as many Americans are recognizing just how self-serving politicians on both sides of the aisle are. The Republican Party is splintering apart, shedding the neoconservative, globalist policies of the early 2000’s and building an unapologetically populist coalition that demands leaders focus on the needs of Americans.
By a margin of greater than two to one, Trump voters say they side with the President over the Congressional GOP. Forty-nine percent of Republicans and Republican-leaning independents say they are “more supporters of Trump” than the GOP, while just 19% say they are more supporters of the GOP.
Not only do many conservatives remain steadfastly loyal to Trump over the GOP, three out of four Republicans want their elected officials to “be more like President Trump” in 2021 according to a recent Rasmussen poll. Pollsters asked voters, “as the Republican Party reorganizes itself next year, should it be more like President Trump or more like the average GOP member of Congress?” Republicans picked the “more like President Trump” option 72% to 24%.
What’s more, a year-end roundup of polls show Trump is already the frontrunner for 2024, despite not having officially announced yet. No candidate comes within striking distance of Trump, who is the number one choice for around 90% of Republicans.
It is important to remember that Democrats’ recent electoral victories do not exist in a vacuum. Joe Biden fit the establishment Democrat narrative, amassed celebrity endorsements, and enjoyed favorable news coverage from virtually every mainstream institution, including Fox News. He also vastly outspent Trump, with the help of giant super PACs and “dark money” groups.
Loeffler lost because a significant number of Georgia conservatives refused to vote for her, not because her Democrat challenger drew in Republican voters.
Democrats were also fortuitously positioned in the General election and the January special election to take advantage of the covid-19 restrictions and capitalize on mail-in voting. Even without the array of ‘election irregularities’ in multiple cities and counties in swing states, coronavirus lockdowns and the immense push to encourage mail-in voting benefited Democrats because of their infrastructure and messaging.
Combine those advantages with the fact that many Trump loyalists are done supporting establishment candidates who do not stand with Trump, and the result is Democrat wins – for now. The Republican Party is realigning itself, and those who refuse to embrace the party’s new populist direction are destined to lose. Yes, the Republican Party has suffered great losses, and it will continue to do so until it aligns behind the America First principles.
