Where is the Republican bed-wetting?
There has been a lot of talk about Democratic “bed-wetting” (a term my old boss David Plouffe coined to describe the constant state of high level of anxiety within the party) over the re-election chances for President Joe Biden.
And I get it — current polling numbers don’t exactly prompt a big sigh of relief.
A new NBC News poll shows Biden and Donald Trump deadlocked in a hypothetical rematch. Three-quarters of registered voters expressed concern about Biden’s age and mental fitness. As many as 56% disapprove of his job performance — an all-time high for the poll. And almost 60% of Democratic primary voters want Biden to face a challenger for the nomination.
Now, despite those shaky numbers and similar findings in other polls, there are many reasons why I think this anxiety is overblown. National polls this far out don’t tell you a lot, Democrats have consistently outperformed in special elections, incumbents have a leg up, and most importantly the contrast between Trump and Biden has barely been drawn.
But all this talk of Democratic anxiety really just makes me wonder — where’s the Republican bed-wetting?
I mean, just this week, a New York judge found Trump, the leading candidate for the GOP nomination, liable for fraud.
That is, of course, on top of his four criminal indictments, and their corresponding trial dates sprinkled throughout the heat of the campaign season.
And there is no viable alternative to him in the Republican Party. He is more than 40 points above the rest of the pack, according to that same NBC News poll. That lead has only grown since the release of his mug shot. Criminal record or not, this is their guy.
Given all of that, I’d say there’s more to worry about on the right, than on the left.
So maybe it’s time for Democrats — led by an incumbent president — to pass the bed-wetting torch to the party led by a criminal defendant.
A story you should be following: GOP shutdown blame
We are hours away from House Republicans forcing the government to officially shut down, so I wanted to take a little trip down shutdown lane to see if there is any takeaway from the past that could apply to today. Hint: there is.
In 2013, Republicans controlled the House, and pushed the government into a shutdown. According to Gallup polling, when the shutdown began, the GOP’s favorability dropped to a record low. And according to a Washington Post poll from the time, 53% of all respondents blamed Republicans for the impasse.
In 2018, Republicans controlled both chambers of Congress and the White House, and managed to shut themselves down. Polling showed that Americans opposed the shutdown, and blamed then-President Trump.
And this shutdown isn’t even about anything — other than preventing government from working.
Bottom line: Shutdowns are terrible politics for everyone, but typically the country recognizes who is responsible.
And more than anything, it’s a symptom of the larger disease. An addiction to dysfunction. That’s not a message that sells well on the campaign trail.
Someone you should know: Ryan Nobles
There was no better moment this week that exposed the fact that the Republican House has no real argument for impeaching Biden, than when Ryan Nobles, NBC News Capitol Hill Correspondent, asked some straightforward questions about the evidence they were proposing at a press conference on the Hill.
You can watch the entire exchange between Nobles and Rep. Jason Smith, R-Mo., here:
MSNBC host Symone Sanders-Townsend’s weekend routine
What show are you bingeing right now?
“Love and Marriage: Huntsville.” The show has a hold on me that I cannot explain. At night, it’s my last show before I turn it in (if I have already watched the latest episode of “The Morning Show”).
What’s the last book you read?
I interviewed Kerry Washington last week about her new memoir “Thicker Than Water.” The book is a fascinating read!
What time do you wake up on the weekends?
Around 7:00 a.m., if I am on time. 8:45 a.m., if I am pulling it together! (Ha)
How do you take your coffee?
I am an iced coffee kind of girl, with almond milk and three shots of espresso. Four, if it’s a long day.
