How bad is Trump for the GOP? It seems he’s worse than many would have guessed. As his 100th day in office approaches, more people are noticing that he’s gotten nothing done. And the party is starting to realize just how much of a problem this could be. Lawmakers who are up for election every two years pretty much never stop campaigning, and the parties are always working on the next election.
But the Republican Party is having trouble finding candidates who will commit to running for 2018. According to Politico:
“Potential GOP candidates whom party leaders want to recruit are afraid of walking into a buzz saw, uncertain about what kind of political environment they’ll be facing by the time the midterms come around — and what Trump’s record will look like…
…But interviews with more than a dozen top Republican operatives, donors and officials reveal a growing trepidation about how the initial days of the new political season are unfolding. And they underscore a deep anxiety about how the party will position itself in 2018 as it grapples with the leadership of an unpredictable president still acclimating to Washington.”
Trump and his mouthpieces keep assuring the press that things are humming along and that he’s already accomplished a great deal. If they’re talking about all the executive orders, then Zac Petkanas has some harsh words for them. According to him, all those EOs are just theater – a way to look like he’s doing something:
.@Zac_Petkanas on @POTUS‘ first 100 days: “Most of these executive orders, they’re theater…It is the perception of activity.” #first100 pic.twitter.com/XwFUxFLrYC
— Fox News (@FoxNews) April 24, 2017
They’re also worried about vacant House seats in deep red states. Jon Ossof, in Georgia, very narrowly lost his special election outright and will proceed to a runoff in June against Republican candidate Karen Handel. In Kansas, the Democratic candidate made it a much closer race than it otherwise should have been.
Democrats who don’t really vote all that much have been turning out for these elections at a far higher rate than Republicans who don’t vote too much. Furthermore, not only is Trump’s approval rating at a record low for this point in his administration, but Congress’ own approval rating – particularly that of Republicans – has fallen sharply since February, too. A big part of that is their failure to pass their healthcare bill along with the looming shutdown threat.
In other words, 2018 is starting to look like a referendum on Trump and his sheer incompetence. And that has Republicans running scared.
Good.
Featured image by Aude Guerrucci-Pool via Getty Images
