With Donald Trump looking increasingly disastrous at the top of the Republican ticket, downballot Republicans are employing a last-ditch strategy that the party last used in 1996. Basically: “Hillary Clinton will be president, so vote for me.”
The message is taking different forms in different parts of the country. In Minnesota’s Iron Range, Republican Stewart Mills has begun airing a TV commercial that says his opponent, Democratic Rep. Rick Nolan, is “standing with Hillary Clinton, not Minnesota families.” Nolan, the ad says, “would give Hillary a blank check to run up trillions in new debt and job-destroying taxes.”
In upstate New York, the National Republican Congressional Committee has been running a TV ad that says a Democratic candidate, Kim Myers, would “fast-track” Clinton’s agenda in the House. It urges voters to support Republican Claudia Tenney – who will “stand up to Hillary Clinton.” Another spot warns that Myers and an independent candidate, Martin Babinec, would “rubber-stamp Hillary Clinton’s agenda in Congress.”
Say the people standing with Donald Trump, hoping to give him a blank check and rubber stamp.
The lopsided presidential race gives Democrats a chance to take back the Senate and maybe even the House, if everything goes exactly right. And part of everything going right is all of us doubling down right now. The Democrats who would make the majority need our help now.
Can you chip in $1 to each of our Senate candidates? The future of the Supreme Court is at stake. And how about $1 to each of our House candidates? Think about Speaker Pelosi … and dig deep.