In the aftermath of the midterm elections, there was a debate in Republican circles about whether to acknowledge the party’s disappointment with the results or pretend that setbacks were triumphs. Donald Trump, for example, tried to embrace both approaches.
On November 11, for example, the former president posted a post on his social media platform stating, “WE WON! …Big Victory, don’t be stupid. Stand on the rooftops and shout it loud! Two days later, the Republican wrote a follow-up piece, saying it was Mitch McConnell’s “fault” that the party “blew up the Midterms.”
The Republican National Committee has made up its mind – and it’s not shouting “WE’VE WON!” from all the rooftops. The Associated Press reported:
A decade after its last election autopsy, the Republican National Committee is moving forward with a new post-election audit designed to examine the GOP’s disappointing performance in recent midterms and the party’s broader struggles in the years that follow. followed the rise to power of former President Donald Trump. The report, which will likely take several months to complete, is expected to explore internal concerns about the quality of candidates, the lack of a clear governing program and the party’s reluctance to embrace early voting, among other issues.
On the surface, such an undertaking makes a lot of sense. Republicans were well positioned for massive gains in this year’s midterm cycle, but instead suffered disappointments across the board. A “review” — the party apparently avoids the word “audit” — would likely help Republican officials better understand what went wrong and what steps they could take to avoid similar mistakes in the future.
But just below the surface, it’s not that simple.
For one thing, it’s not entirely clear what the review will look at. The AP report added, “There is some disagreement over the exact focus and scope of the upcoming review.” Or in other words, one day in the process, Republicans aren’t on the same page about their own post-election initiative. It’s not an ideal start.
On the other hand, some of the RNC’s picks for its “Republican Advisory Council” are quite dubious. The list, for example, includes Kellyanne Conway, despite her association with the failed presidency of Donald Trump, as well as Blake Masters, who struggled as a far-right candidate for the US Senate in Arizona this year, ultimately losing to the senator. Democrat Mark Kelly by about five percentage points.
Who better to advise the RNC on how to win than a losing candidate who underperformed, not only against Republicans in Arizona in the last election cycle, but also against other far-right Republicans in the 2022 election?
But perhaps the main reason for skepticism is that we’ve seen the party lead this plan before.
The AP article added: “Ten years have passed since the RNC last commissioned a post-election audit. The 2013 “Growth and Opportunity Bill” ultimately called on Republicans to adopt a more inclusive and welcoming tone, while taking a more lenient stance on immigration. »
Party officials and candidates largely ignored the recommendations; Republican leaders on Capitol Hill killed a bipartisan immigration agenda; and Donald Trump soon after took over the party. The “Growth and Opportunity Project” eventually became less of a blueprint and more of an embarrassing answer to a trivial question.
Sure, it’s possible this time will be different, but is there any evidence to suggest Republicans are eager to change direction and learn from their defeats? I’m not saying that re-checking can’t produce valid insights; I say that these valid ideas, if they exist, would be ignored by a party that does not want to change.
#RNCs #postelection #record #hard