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How GOP Insiders View Trump's 'Base-Only' 2020 Strategy
RCP Commentary ^ | 6-28-2019 | Myra Adams

Posted on 06/29/2019 10:25:40 AM PDT by Sir Napsalot

Time magazine’s July 1 issue, with its “respectful” cover photo of Donald Trump looking “presidential” — for which the magazine was "scorned" — features a provocative interview with the headline quote: “My Whole Life Is a Bet.”

Within the interview, one “Trumpian” statement stands out because it defies traditional political logic: When Time asked whether he should reach out to swing voters, he said, “‘I think my base is so strong, I’m not sure that I have to do that.’”

I was intrigued and confounded by the president’s bravado when supposedly he is running for president of the United States, not president of His United Base. In a country so polarized that the middle has virtually disappeared, shouldn’t Trump at least pretend to reach out to swing voters? He could even position that effort as a patriotic move for the well-being of the nation. My strategic advice would be to try a little unification instead of division. But since his “Whole Life Is a Bet,” Trump is betting that his base will carry him to victory and to heck with the rest of America.

Perplexed by this strategy, I reached out to some well-known Republican presidential consultants and gleaned fascinating insights and perspectives....

The last national GOP political consultant who spoke on the record about Trump’s base-only strategy is Rick Tyler, now an MSNBC political analyst … He was communications director for Sen. Ted Cruz's presidential campaign until February 2016 when he was dismissed after a headline-making video controversy regarding Marco Rubio’s campaign. ...

Tyler is critical of Trump’s strategy:

“It was swing voters who made the difference between Trump winning and losing in 2016. Swing voters decided the outcomes in Wisconsin, Michigan, and Pennsylvania. ...Trump giving up on the voters who made him president is a strategy for losing.”

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


TOPICS: Campaign News; Issues; Parties
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One person agreed with Trump's statement, saying Trump base was much larger and not the caricature of media portray.

Another stood in the middle, admitting it is 'risky' - Trump needs to rev up his base >100% to turn out on election night for the strategy to work for him.

Yet another "strategic adviser" telling Trump that he should compromise. Maybe just a little, or perhaps just pretend to compromise.

I think we should give some credit to Trump's instinct, he came out of nowhere in the crowded GOP fields (some of which were considered excellent) then managed to beat the anointed Hillary. Maybe he knows what he's doing. Maybe just a little more needed than the Dems' side.

1 posted on 06/29/2019 10:25:40 AM PDT by Sir Napsalot
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To: Sir Napsalot

Economy is doing well.

Democrats are off the rails far left.

Seems like Trump will won more states this tune out.


2 posted on 06/29/2019 10:26:57 AM PDT by TigerClaws
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To: Sir Napsalot

Trump’s base is the American people.

The liberal swill always vote against America.


3 posted on 06/29/2019 10:27:06 AM PDT by BenLurkin (The above is not a statement of fact. It is either opinion or satire. Or both.)
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To: Sir Napsalot

I have to stay with what the President thinks, he seems to be the smartest guy in the room still and keeps WINNING!!!.


4 posted on 06/29/2019 10:27:41 AM PDT by eyeamok
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To: Sir Napsalot

What makes them think that swing voters aren’t part of Trump’s base? Bottom line though is, if you can’t tell the difference between life under Trump as opposed to life under Democrat & Republican elites, then nothing will sway you I guess.


5 posted on 06/29/2019 10:32:45 AM PDT by Robert DeLong
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To: Sir Napsalot

A lot of Trump’s “base” are the Boomers -I’m now 69 - who are aging rapidly, and will need replacement if Conservatism is to survive, rather than allow socialism/communism to gain any more foothold.

It won’t be Trump who needs converts, in 8-12-16 and more years, it’ll be the Republic, or we’ll lose it.


6 posted on 06/29/2019 10:32:56 AM PDT by Carriage Hill (A society grows great when old men plant trees, in whose shade they know they will never sit.)
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To: Sir Napsalot

What they want is for Trump to “compromise” with the Left, and in the process alienate his base.

Trump is saying he will stay with his base, and work at getting “swing” voters to become part of his base.


7 posted on 06/29/2019 10:37:09 AM PDT by SauronOfMordor (Socialists want YOUR wealth redistributed, never THEIRS!)
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To: Sir Napsalot
“It was swing voters who made the difference between Trump winning and losing in 2016. Swing voters decided the outcomes in Wisconsin, Michigan, and Pennsylvania. ...Trump giving up on the voters who made him president is a strategy for losing.”

With the Democrats currently talking about free health care for all illegal immigrants and a return to forced school busing, President Trump doesn't have to worry about losing swing voters.

8 posted on 06/29/2019 10:38:03 AM PDT by Drew68
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To: eyeamok
I agree that he keeps WINNING.

But here is a prediction:

If (in the unlikely scenario) Trump loses the 2020 election, he will resign as POTUS the morning after the election, have Pence sworn in, and immediately issue a presidential pardon of Trump as a preemptive measure against Democrat attacks.

That is my prediction. I hope we never have to find out if I was right or wrong...

9 posted on 06/29/2019 10:41:02 AM PDT by nwrep
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To: Sir Napsalot

> Rick Tyler, now an MSNBC political analyst

Thanks for the advice, MSNBC.

Except Trump’s base isn’t the left-wing fantasy of a little group of Nazis. It is average people taking home larger paychecks and a country that doesn’t accept unfair trade deals.


10 posted on 06/29/2019 10:42:30 AM PDT by ArcadeQuarters (You can't have socialism without slavery.)
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To: Sir Napsalot

Trump knows full well that his supporters are red-pilling many others. This allows Trump to be Trump, and not have to come across as pandering to the undecideds. Let his supporters convince the spineless indecisive voters. The only exception was when Trump admonished blacks...”What the hell have you got to lose?”. The #backaway movement of Jews, blacks, and Hispanics are not Trump programs, but are Grass Roots movements to extract disenchanted Dems from being further abused by the DNC and vote for Trump.


11 posted on 06/29/2019 10:45:34 AM PDT by SERKIT ("Blazing Saddles" explains it all.......)
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To: Sir Napsalot

“In a country so polarized that the middle has virtually disappeared, shouldn’t Trump at least pretend to reach out to swing voters?

well, gee Time, why should he even “pretend” if there is no middle left?

but of course the whole article is complete BS, anyway

“When Time asked whether he should reach out to swing voters, he said, “‘I think my base is so strong, I’m not sure that I have to do that.’””

for one thing, I doubt if that’s actually what Time asked, so it’s highly likely the quote is out of context, and even if not, Trump could easily being doing a rope-a-dope, trying to confuse his opponents ... for one thing, we already know he’s got campaign organizations going after the various hispanic groups in Florida, which doesn’t sound at all to me like he’s not eaching out to swing voters ...


12 posted on 06/29/2019 10:47:09 AM PDT by catnipman (Cat Nipman: Vote Republican in 2012 and only be called racist one more time!)
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To: Sir Napsalot

Strategic advice from people who hate you and want you to lose. Yeah that’s a good idea.
If the wishi-washi so-called swing voters do not like him now, changing his message is not going to change that. But it will piss off conservatives. Which I wonder if that’s not their intent.

Stick to your core principles and go down fighting, or preferably win.


13 posted on 06/29/2019 10:47:58 AM PDT by ChildOfThe60s (If you can remember the 60s........you weren't really there)
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To: Sir Napsalot

Trump doesn’t pander in front of other people. He works for his base. What other people do, is pander and lie. They call it tacking to the middle. What they mean is they are lying to the middle or the base. Probably both.


14 posted on 06/29/2019 10:48:37 AM PDT by poinq
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To: nwrep

Excuse me, pardon for WHAT? The man hasn’t done anything for which he would need a pardon. Just like that consummate alzheimers ridden ass, Jimmy Carter, accusing Trump of having been put in office by the Russians.


15 posted on 06/29/2019 10:49:00 AM PDT by laconic
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To: Sir Napsalot

“swing” voters = synonym to those we call ‘RINOS’
Voting for you one election cycle but never fully standing WITH you. Another flash in the the pan, they might turn against you in a nano-second.

OTOH: “the base” is steadfast, their support never wavering; loyal to the end unless a FLAW is found.


16 posted on 06/29/2019 10:53:17 AM PDT by V K Lee ("VICTORY FOR THE RIGHTEOUS IS JUDGMENT FOR THE WICKED")
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To: laconic

Who knows? That is why I called it pre-emptive...


17 posted on 06/29/2019 10:55:17 AM PDT by nwrep
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To: Sir Napsalot

Just another anti Trump know it all. Not worth any electrons..


18 posted on 06/29/2019 10:57:45 AM PDT by Grampa Dave (KAG! Keep America Great! Vote for President Trump in 2020! KAG! Keep America Great!)
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To: Sir Napsalot
Random thoughts:

The new spin is Hillary is the only candidate Trump could have beaten. The truth is Trump is the only candidate who could have beaten Hillary. Name me one other Republican candidate that could have flipped a single state, other than the POSSIBLE exception of Jeb flipping Florida, cause it was his home state.

Where are Democrats reaching out to swing voters? Where are the stories about Democrats reaching out? Or, are they playing to their base?

There's a lot of butt hurt in the consultant class right now. Trump not only proved them wrong, he proved them stupid. Why should Trump take advice from a Ted Cruz guy? Trump damaged Cruz so bad in the primaries he had to come to Texas to help Cruz beat a mouth breathing skateboarder.

Democrats don't run candidates. They cast roles. Sandy Cortez, Barack Obama, and Illian Omar have never decided policy. They are puppets for the string pullers. The homeless, the drug dealers, children, illegal alien invaders, feminists and the deviant sex crowd are tools and useful idiots. Women are starting to find out they're the next ones under the bus. Rapes and murders covered up if done by a protected class, media cheering when men put on a wig and beat them in competitions, media ignoring sex trafficking when done by the elites.

19 posted on 06/29/2019 10:58:52 AM PDT by Richard Kimball
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To: Sir Napsalot

Trump won because voters had had enough of wishy-washy
candidates. His base has not given up on him.
Promises made, promises kept, I see no reason to change
my vote.

I would be very disappointed for Trump to turn to the
squishy middle in an attempt to win lukewarm democrats
who will not vote for him in any event.

Bought some Trump 2020 stickers and hat today!

Trump 2020~!


20 posted on 06/29/2019 11:13:27 AM PDT by tet68 ( " We would not die in that man's company, that fears his fellowship to die with us...." Henry V.)
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