‘This sh*t’s not funny’: Strategist explains that Trump is causing an ‘extinction event’ for the GOP
Brad Reed BRAD REED
11 AUG 2016 AT 15:40 ET
rawstory.com
We’re in the middle of August, but Republican panic over their presidential nominee is already setting in.
Politico reports that more than 70 prominent Republicans — including several former GOP senators and congressmen — have written a letter begging RNC chairman Reince Priebus to pull the plug on Trump’s campaign and instead spend all their resources protecting down-ballot Republican senators and representatives.
“We believe that Donald Trump’s divisiveness, recklessness, incompetence, and record-breaking unpopularity risk turning this election into a Democratic landslide,” reads the letter, which was signed by big names such as former Sen. Gordon Humphrey and former Rep. Chris Shays. “Only the immediate shift of all available RNC resources to vulnerable Senate and House races will prevent the GOP from drowning with a Trump-emblazoned anchor around its neck.”
As if that weren’t enough, Republican strategist Matt Mackowiak on Thursday posted an epic tweetstorm describing the abject panic that has set in among Republicans, who now fear that they’ll suffer massive down-ballot losses if Trump stays on his current course.
“OK, this shit’s not funny anymore,” he began. “Trump is threatening elected GOPers at all levels in places that haven’t been competitive in decades… We are looking at an extinction-level event.”
Among other things, Mackowiak ripped Trump for continuing to campaign in Connecticut when any hope of winning that state is long gone. He also said that Trump needs to dial back his rallies and TV interviews, and spend an average of 20 hours a week doing preparation for the fall debates.
Does that sound like something Trump would really agree to? Probably not, but Mackowiak insisted that Trump had to do it anyway.
“You can’t overstate panic inside GOP currently,” he said.
Check out the whole panicky tweetstorm below.
Matt Mackowiak @MattMackowiak
1/ Ok, this shit's not funny anymore. Trump is threatening elected GOPers at all levels in places that haven't been competitive in decades.
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 Matt Mackowiak @MattMackowiak
2/ It's time to get real. Stop campaigning in states that are gone: CT, NY, ME, CA, CO and VA. Just stop. You re wasting time.
12:25 PM - 11 Aug 2016
4545 Retweets
5959 likes
Matt Mackowiak @MattMackowiak
3/ You have a narrow path. Hold the Romney states (in order of danger: NC, AZ, GA, UT). And then pick up OH, PA and FL. That's it.
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Matt Mackowiak @MattMackowiak
4/ I'd be ok with Trump and Pence ignoring every state but OH, PA, FL and NC from here on out. Let paid media and RNC field win UT, GA & AZ.
12:26 PM - 11 Aug 2016
2929 Retweets
3030 likes
Matt Mackowiak @MattMackowiak
5/ More fundamentally, the Trump campaign needs to discover the value of scarcity. Make Trump scarce. Fewer interviews. Shorter rallies.
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Matt Mackowiak @MattMackowiak
6/ Do they have a daily message? It appears when there's a speech. Otherwise it does not appear they have a daily message. That's insane.
12:28 PM - 11 Aug 2016
2525 Retweets
3131 likes
Matt Mackowiak @MattMackowiak
7/ Can Trump show discipline for the rest of August? No more loose talk. Exciting a crowd isn't impressive. Winning a battleground state is.
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Matt Mackowiak @MattMackowiak
8/ Trump is threatening the entire GOP and it could take a decade to erase the damage. We are looking at an extinction-level event.
12:29 PM - 11 Aug 2016
182182 Retweets
200200 likes
Matt Mackowiak @MattMackowiak
9/ Where is the bottom? His floor appears to be 38%. His ceiling appears to be 42%. Hillary's range appears to be 44%-49%
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Matt Mackowiak @MattMackowiak
10/ Trump appeared to have turned a corner last week on Friday, quiet on weekend, good speech Mon. But blew it w/ 2A & ISIS comments.
1:23 PM - 11 Aug 2016
2929 Retweets
3434 likes
Matt Mackowiak @MattMackowiak
11/ If it were up to me, he would demonstrate discipline and focus the rest of Aug while beginning aggressive debate prep (20 hrs/week).
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Matt Mackowiak @MattMackowiak
12/ Make Hillary play defense for a few days. Tighten up your schedule. Do a few more policy speeches. Announce some new policy advisors.
1:25 PM - 11 Aug 2016
1212 Retweets
1515 likes
Matt Mackowiak @MattMackowiak
13/ Sept the race becomes fluid again. People start paying attention. Expectations for Trump's debate will be low. He needs to overperform.
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Matt Mackowiak @MattMackowiak
14/ You can't overstate panic inside GOP currently. Lots of conversations taking place. More defections coming. Will they be before debate?
1:27 PM - 11 Aug 2016
5151 Retweets
6262 likes
Matt Mackowiak @MattMackowiak
15/ Perhaps most worrying is that today on @hughhewitt, Trump said he isn't worried about losing. Fear of losing makes candidates better.
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Matt Mackowiak @MattMackowiak
16/ Fear of losing makes candidates improve knowledge, strategy, discipline & performance. Can Trump possibly not be worried about losing?
1:28 PM - 11 Aug 2016
1515 Retweets
2323 likes
Matt Mackowiak @MattMackowiak
17/ Trump has said all along that this was a waste of time if he loses. So why isn't he changing course in an attempt to win?
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Matt Mackowiak @MattMackowiak
18/ He used to love polls, citing them hourly. He can't now, as the race has turned sharply against him.
1:29 PM - 11 Aug 2016
1515 Retweets
2929 likes
Matt Mackowiak @MattMackowiak
19/ Trump benefitted mightily from a high floor in the primaries, but he never was hurt by his low ceiling. Reverse is true now in general.
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Matt Mackowiak @MattMackowiak
20/ What does Trump care about, if he doesn't care about losing, doesn't care about the GOP, won't listen, won't learn, and won't improve?
1:31 PM - 11 Aug 2016
3434 Retweets
4242 likes |
