President Trump's approval rating is hovering at 40%, well below the comfort level for GOP House candidates this year. They are on rocky terrain in districts that are not gerrymandered in their favor, and under water even in many that are drawn to give them an advantage.
The math simply doesn’t work for them. Democrats only need to pick up 24 seats to take the House. According to Real Clear Politics, in a generic ballot, Democrats top Republicans 45.9% to 36.6%, placing congressional Republicans even lower than where Trump is with the electorate.
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At this particular snapshot in time, Republicans appear be to hurtling forward on a kamikaze mission as their unpopular, alarming and erratic president fuels their mission. It’s lunacy. But perhaps there’s a method to the GOP madness.
The primary calendar may hold some clues.
As each state’s GOP primary filing deadline passes, look for congressional Republicans to begin to distance themselves from Trump. With no threat of a late-filing Trumpkin challenger funded by Mercer family money, Republican candidates no longer need to stay tethered to their fraying red MAGA hats. He or she can exhale — somewhat — and begin the process of reaching out to voters who are opposed to Trump.
Source: usatoday
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