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Cassidy, who defied Trump, aims to win with increasingly conservative base
Roll Call ^ | July 30 | By Lia DeGroot

Posted on 07/30/2025 1:01:42 PM PDT by RandFan

Bill Cassidy is playing a gambit.

The Republican doctor from Louisiana appears ready to fight for his Senate seat next year, a race complicated by his checkered history with President Donald Trump and a new primary system that could make reelection more difficult.

His main hurdle? Convincing his Louisiana base that he’s gotten behind Trump’s agenda, despite his vote to convict Trump in his 2021 impeachment trial. His GOP challengers have already seized on that vote, pitching themselves as better Trump loyalists.

The gambit is that voters will be swayed by Cassidy’s late turn toward Trump, including support this year for the president’s controversial pick for Health and Human Services secretary, Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

Going against the grain of the party ramps up the political risk, noted Chris Cooper, a professor of political science at Western Carolina University.

“That’s always been true for senators or any politicians, but that’s particularly true in the age of Donald Trump,” he said in an interview. “Where, if you are Republican and you cross Trump, you’re running the risk of him putting you on full alert on Truth Social, and sending a message that will be received by Republican voters.”

Further complicating his fate is Louisiana’s new closed primary system, which applies to his seat and means that he will be competing in a smaller and more conservative pool of voters.

John Couvillon, a Louisiana pollster who founded JMC Analytics & Polling, said the state’s previous primary system — in which all candidates ran in the same race and the top two finishers advanced to the general election — forced Republican candidates to consider moderate voters in the primary. The new system means a distinct shift to the right.

(Excerpt) Read more at rollcall.com ...


TOPICS: Chit/Chat
KEYWORDS: antisemite; billcassidy; fakefreepers; iranfan; muslimfan; nevertrumpingtroll; randpaulisatraitor; randstandswithiran; rinofan; rinosedition; whyishestillhere; zot
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To: woweeitsme

Along with the rest of the useless RINOs.


21 posted on 07/30/2025 2:05:19 PM PDT by No name given ( Anonymous is who you’ll know me as)
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To: RandFan

I don’t live in Louisiana, but my disapproval of him inspired me to call a Congressional office for the first time — both his state one and D.C. one.

Praying for him to be replaced in the primaries.

He is hook, line, and syncer in the tank for Big Pharma and made RFK’s confirmation, and that of RFK’s choices to public health posts extremely difficult, and succeeded with the Dems in blocking a few.


22 posted on 07/30/2025 2:05:59 PM PDT by CondoleezzaProtege ( )
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To: RandFan

If he voted to convict he’s not someone I would vote for…. Needs to be primaries and fired


23 posted on 07/30/2025 2:11:49 PM PDT by HamiltonJay
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To: RandFan

Bill the Super-Duper RINO Cassidy


24 posted on 07/30/2025 2:28:40 PM PDT by antidemoncrat (In a way ge is right as)
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To: RandFan

Since the system was changed from being a jungle primary / runoff system, he could be in trouble. Had it remained the same, probably would not have been.


25 posted on 07/30/2025 2:55:51 PM PDT by Republican Wildcat
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To: jacknhoo

“Well, Louisiana is so corrupt, he fits right in.”

The politicians are; voters have different problems. Cassidy was a former democrat and changed parties to enhance his election potential. He should have stayed in medicine. He is over.


26 posted on 07/30/2025 3:32:45 PM PDT by odawg
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To: FLT-bird

Well put.


27 posted on 07/30/2025 3:41:25 PM PDT by HANG THE EXPENSE (Life's tough.It's tougher when you're stupid.)
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To: RandFan

“smaller more conservative”

The left changed the meaning of the word “gay”.
Now some want to change the meaning of the word conservative?

Trump is a moderate by most definitions. His foreign policy is moderate. Tariffs are left of moderate. DOGE is conservative. Cutting regulations is conservative. So Trump is a mixed bag ideologically which results in a moderate.

The reason he attracted so many votes is he came across as a moderate to most voters.


28 posted on 07/30/2025 4:36:37 PM PDT by spintreebob
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To: Bobbyvotes

Please do not purposefully distort Ronald Reagan’s advice.

Reagan deserves better than this sort of low blow.


29 posted on 07/30/2025 6:01:18 PM PDT by ProgressingAmerica (We cannot vote our way out of these problems. The only way out is to activist our way out.)
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To: stars & stripes forever

I’m from Louisiana and I’ll do everything possible to get that POS out of office.


30 posted on 07/30/2025 7:04:13 PM PDT by techetiger
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To: FLT-bird

He is being primaried and LA no longer has a “jungle” primary. I’m very hopeful that Assidy is a gone pecan.


31 posted on 07/30/2025 7:08:35 PM PDT by techetiger
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To: ProgressingAmerica

I knew Reagan well. Obviously you do not.


32 posted on 07/30/2025 7:12:24 PM PDT by Bobbyvotes (TERM LIMITS is the ONLY WAY to get rid of corrupt cas filreer politicians. )
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To: Bobbyvotes

Reagan never said it was ok to support any republican when the republican is trying to be as liberal as they can be.

He had the 80/20 rule.

He was also on board with the Stop Nixon movement, considering that everybody knew early on Nixon was hardly a conservative. He was not of the GOP Establishment.

Whatever Reagan you think you knew thankfully we had a different one as President.


33 posted on 07/30/2025 9:00:24 PM PDT by ProgressingAmerica (We cannot vote our way out of these problems. The only way out is to activist our way out.)
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* Reagan was not of the GOP Establishment.


34 posted on 07/30/2025 9:02:30 PM PDT by ProgressingAmerica (We cannot vote our way out of these problems. The only way out is to activist our way out.)
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To: ProgressingAmerica

Most RINOs vote with Trump.
The BBB is good example. In many districts a pure as wind driven snow conservative has no chance to defeat democrat opponent. But many idiots insist on purity. After Trump retires from term limits, get ready for Democrats back in power. Might happen in 2026 midterms.


35 posted on 07/31/2025 4:01:42 AM PDT by Bobbyvotes (TERM LIMITS is the ONLY WAY to get rid of corrupt cas filreer politicians. )
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To: RandFan

Cassidy is what voters get when they allow Deep State to select their candidates for them.


36 posted on 07/31/2025 4:22:56 AM PDT by mewzilla (Swing away, Mr. President, swing away!)
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To: RandFan

He’s a killer doctor. How many died or were maimed from his pushing of jabs?


37 posted on 07/31/2025 4:26:09 AM PDT by 9YearLurker
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To: Bobbyvotes
"Most RINOs vote with Trump."

Yes, the weak know not to cross him. That is surely the reason why he endorses RINOS, but does not endorse conservatives.(some exceptions)

"In many districts a pure as wind driven snow conservative has no chance to defeat democrat opponent"

It always gets me in trouble when I say Susan Collins is a decent senator. I have even at times jokingly said Collins is a great senator.

However we have 26 states and like 2 conservatives. It would not be a lot to ask that at least 10 of those would actually be solid.

Unlike Susan Collins who fits well given those realities you stated, it is absolutely insulting that Lindsey Graham is a senator from South Carolina. An absolute waste of a senate seat. I would love Lindsey Graham as a senator from Maine though. Likewise the Alabama seats are entirely wasted, Cornyn's seat is a waste, Mississippi's are totally wasted, there are a ton of them.

And the same goes for dozens of seats in the house.

Nobody ever wants to discuss the hard-core fire-red conservative house districts which are utterly wasted with radical left wing liberal blue republican Susan Collins clones. It's heart breaking to see such wasted house seats!

38 posted on 07/31/2025 11:00:15 AM PDT by ProgressingAmerica (We cannot vote our way out of these problems. The only way out is to activist our way out.)
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To: ProgressingAmerica

Graham is obviously popular in SC. In elections only thing matters is to get enough votes to win. I agree Graham is not sold conservative. But solid conservatives are free to primary Graham. But nobody has beaten him so far. We gotta live with what is, not what we wish.


39 posted on 07/31/2025 12:00:50 PM PDT by Bobbyvotes (TERM LIMITS is the ONLY WAY to get rid of corrupt cas filreer politicians. )
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To: FLT-bird

If solid conservatives can’t beat RINOs in primaries, what do you propose to do about it?
Sit out in general and help the democrat win? How does that help?


40 posted on 07/31/2025 2:39:02 PM PDT by Bobbyvotes (TERM LIMITS is the ONLY WAY to get rid of corrupt cas filreer politicians. )
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