Defiant Republicans hope Kavanaugh fight will stoke their voters next month

[DonViejo]

By Robert Costa October 7 at 12:50 PM

Senate Republicans were defiant Sunday, one day after Brett M. Kavanaugh was sworn in as the 114th Supreme Court justice, brushing aside concerns about how they handled the brutal confirmation process and the potential costs in next month’s midterm elections. But Republicans also faced sharp questions about the fallout in a fast-changing country that has seen the #MeToo movement gain prominence and Democratic voters electrified in opposition to President Trump and to Kavanaugh.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) suggested that the GOP’s base voters could reward them with strong turnout for standing by Kavanaugh in the face of sexual assault allegations that prompted protests and outrage from both sides of the political aisle.

“We stood up to the mob,” McConnell said on “Fox News Sunday.” “We established that the presumption of innocence is still important. I’m proud of my colleagues.”

McConnell’s charged language was shared by other Republicans, who referred to Saturday’s near-party-line vote of 50 to 48 as both a galvanizing and polarizing moment.

“I’ve never been more pissed in my life,” Sen. Lindsey O. Graham (R-S.C.), a Trump ally, said on “Fox News Sunday.” “I’ve never campaigned against a colleague in my life. That’s about to change.”

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https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/defiant-republicans-hope-kavanaugh-fight-will-stoke-their-voters-next-month/2018/10/07/81652b98-ca4b-11e8-920f-dd52e1ae4570_story.html

[Thrill]

1. lol Graham certainly thinks highly of himself

[Squinch]

2. There is no data to make them think this. They are talking out of their asses.

OR they are setting up a narrative they can use to explain why the actual vote on Election Day bears no resemblance to the polls or the exit polls.

Don't forget about when those 7 republican senators took their little meeting in Russia. We have still not been told what that was all about. Though we can certainly guess.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

3. But now they've "won" so they don't have that battle to fight any more.

What gets people to vote is having a battle to fight. The GOPers are more likely to just sit back on their ample asses, pop a brewski and gloat about having punked the libs.

[Blue_true]

4. You believe what you wrote?

That is why we lose races that we should win. Trumpers WILL show up to vote because they want complete domination and total submission by those they call enemies. We better match and exceed their intensity at the polls, vote early and push all friends and family to vote.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

6. Actually, I do. And they should be encouraged to think they've won

so they relax and don't try to GOTV. Yes, of course they have their fanatical activists who will vote, but I'd encourage the rank and file MAGATs to believe that now that they have a supreme court majority they've got everything they need.

[Blue_true]

7. They always vote in every election.

Look, I live in a red district and do battle with these people. They vote and insure that their vote get in and get counted. NEVER assume that they won't continue to do that. Trump is their long coming wet dream, they will do whatever it takes to maximize his power and keep democrats out of power.

[Awsi Dooger]

9. People who live in red areas have a better feel for this

I lived in Nevada for 24 years, as it transitioned from red to where it is now.

Invariably there would be overboard hopes in midterms but often Democrats were swept in every statewide election. The red-leaning cow counties showed up dependably as did conservatives in Clark County (Las Vegas).

Consequently I had plenty of related education toward never counting on turnout and motivation advantage toward Democrats. When we succeed, it is due to raw preference. That will also be the case this cycle, assuming independent voters remain on our side.

Republicans, on the other hand, can benefit from either preference or turnout edge, because pro-blue blocks like minorities and young people do not show up dependably in midterms, especially when the national tilt is the other way.

This aspect will change over the next 20 years as the senior citizen rolls are filled by voters who came of age during JFK/LBJ and not the current seniors who are largely members of the heavily-red Silent Generation born 1928-1945. In let's say 8-12 years from now when we see heavy projections toward senior citizen participation in a midterm, that will favor our side.

[Blue_true]

11. Good observations. nt

[wryter2000]

5. Plus, a few of the white women who voted for the orange abomination

Will have been appalled that a sexual predator is now on the court. Not all of the women, by any means, but this has to have peeled off a few. If they've had an experience like Dr. Ford's or their daughter or sister has.

And on edit...a few white men, too.

[anarch]

8. stoke their voters as in "how dare those cunts try to stand up to us!"

The Rape-ublicans "stood up to the mob" all right--stood right up and shook hands with the братва, and agreed to install the Orange Abomination in the White House, and here we all are.

They are misogynist cretins; we need to vote every single Rethug out of every office, everywhere.

[Taraman]

10. Wishful thinking. When they go low, we get in their face!

[Kajun Gal]

12. It will stoke THEIR voters to vote for a dem!

[moondust]

13. Short attention spans

plus several outrages per day = Bart who?