This morning I saw a tweet (Sorry, but I prefer the Twitter nomenclature) that asks a very important question:
Exactly, how is this even a race? If campaigns were about policies, or record in office, then it would not be a race. Karen Bass would be languishing last in the polls. Ideally, she would have felt so much shame about her failures in office that she would not be running for re-election. But that is hoping for waaay too much.
The same is true for the Thomas Massie primary election in Kentucky’s 4th Congressional District. If voters were focused on policies, Ed Gallrein would pose no threat to Massie. Yet, the opposite is true. Recent polls forecast a Massie defeat. And why is that the case? Because voters are focused on personalities, political tribal loyalty. They are focused on everything except policies.
We saw the same phenomenon during the 2024 GOP primary when Ron DeSantis challenged Donald Trump for the nomination. As I have said many times, DeSantis has delivered on many policy items the GOP voters said wanted for decades. While Trump failed to deliver, during his first term, his signature policy: The Wall. And many other items.
What the GOP voters focused on? DeSantis’ choice in footwear. Yes, I am not kidding. DeSantis wore white rubber boots! Never mind that he made sure a temporary bridge was built to Pine Island in less than three days allowing vital emergency services to reach the area in the aftermath of Hurricane Ian. But, guys, he wore white boots. Or boots with heels.
Of course, I know that the boots were just an excuse. The reason GOP voters rejected DeSantis was because they felt he was disloyal to Trump. The same reason GOP voters are poised to throw Massie out of Congress – he’s also disloyal to Trump. Again, nothing about policies, record in office, nothing.
Spencer Pratt is facing the same problem. Karen Bass is sitting at the top of the polls because she is endorsed by the Democratic Party establishment. Nithya Raman is trying desperately to tie Trump around Pratt’s neck because she knows LA voters will recoil in horror at the mention of the president’s name. Again, nothing about policies, record in office, nothing.
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