For Republicans, Herschel Walker's candidacy is too big to fail

[LetMyPeopleVote]

In a normal cycle, the GOP would have cut Walker loose. The GOP did that in 2012 in Missouri with Todd Adkin, the rape idiot. TFG has championed the concept that there are no scandals that are too big to cut a candidate loose and this concept is not part of the GOP world view.

Link to tweet

https://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/maddowblog/republicans-herschel-walkers-candidacy-big-fail-rcna50792?cid=sm_npd_ms_tw_ma

It would be an exaggeration to say the Republican Party never abandons its own candidates in the wake of controversy. It was, after all, just two weeks ago when Ohio’s J.R. Majewski was caught making claims about his military service that didn’t stand up well to scrutiny, at which point the National Republican Congressional Committee promptly abandoned him.

Now that Herschel Walker has been credibly accused of paying for an abortion for one of his ex-girlfriends, despite running on a platform of a no-exceptions abortions ban, is there any chance his party will give up on the increasingly cringe-worthy candidate? Evidently not. NBC News reported:

National Republicans are rushing to defend Herschel Walker in the wake of a bombshell report that the Senate candidate in the hotly contested battleground state of Georgia paid for a woman’s abortion in 2009.

In Georgia, some prominent GOP voices did not appear overly eager to rally behind the troubled Senate candidate, but at the national level, Republicans treated the latest allegations as utterly meaningless.

The National Republican Senatorial Committee, the super PAC aligned with the Senate Republican leadership, and the super PAC aligned with Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America all announced that they’re sticking with Walker. Donald Trump, who practically begged the former football player to move from Texas to Georgia for this race, also issued a statement of support.....

There’s no great mystery as to why. Dana Loesch, a conservative media personality, declared yesterday, “I am concerned about one thing, and one thing only, at this point. So I don’t care if Herschel Walker paid to abort endangered baby eagles — I want control of the Senate.”

[elias7]

1. That Dana Loesch clip should be shown far and wide.

It really captures the soul of the Republicans. Which is none.

[dchill]

2. Her every utterance is proof that no one like her ...

... should be in charge of anything.

[Zambero]

3. And consequently

When a miscalculation occurs and their candidate falls, they fall VERY hard. The "base" could care less about Walker's past actions and obvious lack of moral character. However, independent and swing voters who have been considering voting for him will take another look.

[jimfields33]

6. I think if it happened in 2019, yes.

A 2009 was a whole different time. Plus he paid $700 and then a get well card. Because she used it for an abortion, he didn’t put any restrictions on the money. I think that’s why they’re giving this a pass. I just think we should be using this time for talking about infrastructure jobs that we provided. The student loan forgiveness that we provided. The gun control law that we provided. The climate change bill that we provided. All of these are not being the focus and should be.

[Caliman73]

12. This will definitely hurt him with real independents. People who don't pay too much attention...

Like the poster you responded to said, it won't change any Republican's mind. They are like Loesch and will vote for a head of lettuce with an R after its name.

We are looking to persuade the few percent of people who are not into politics, but who vote. They may vote on who they think is the "better person" and will see the hypocrisy of Walker trying to dictate and legislate what they can do with their bodies while he is actually fine with the process when it comes to his own interests.

Meanwhile Warnock is talking about the positives and why we need more control in the Senate. He is not engaging in the negative campaigning. He is staying above the factual dirt that is coming out on Walker.

You do both. The candidate stays positive and on policy, and others focus on the opponent, who they really are and what they stand for.

It may be a close race, but I think that enough voters will realize that Walker is stupid and a slime ball, that they will stay home and enough people will show up for Warnock that we will keep the seat in Georgia.

[LetMyPeopleVote]

4. Diamond & Silk weight in on the Herschel controversy

The GOP is clearly worried and have brought out these two idiots to defend Walker

Link to tweet

[Stuart G]

5. Walker is as they say, "Dead Meat" or "Dried Out and Stinking S**t"

[Bucky]

19. I hope it holds, but Warnock is still only pulling 50% in the latest poll

Mind you, it's 50-38%, but still it's impressive Walker is only 12 points down. As he inevitably starts bringing in fixers, he's easily gonna back up in the polls. This race will tighten.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/brianbushard/2022/10/05/herschel-walker-tumbles-in-georgia-senate-poll-as-scandals-mount/?sh=61c1cb041239

[Hugh_Lebowski]

7. There's another angle here that's maybe worth considering ...

The GOP knows their support of abortion bans is hurting their chances these midterms.

By continuing to support Walker, they're hoping to give off a vibe that they're not really THAT extreme in their anti-abortion views.

They know their base won't care, they just want to own the libs. Base knows that Walker is a dependable senate vote for their agenda, past abortion payments notwithstanding.

Rather, it's a ploy directed at independents/undecideds.

Matter of fact I don't know if it's wildly unlikely that the whole thing is 'staged'. I mean I think he did pay for his GF's abortion, but the GF could've been encouraged to release the info at this time so the PuQ's could make a big show of forgiveness on the national stage, as a form of damage control.

I know it's paranoid but I'd put nothing past these assholes.

[sanatanadharma]

9. There's another angle here that's maybe worth broadcasting widely

A vote for Walker is proof the never-right wing lacks any moral consistency; all their pronouncements. promises, premises and projects serve mammon.
I do not like the taste, texture, nor tactlessness of mammon.

[Hugh_Lebowski]

11. That's a course of action I support, sure

I was addressing what the other side's thinking might be on this.

[Caliman73]

13. It is possible, but a very risky strategy.

As the other person who responded to your post said, the problem with that strategy is that while it may send that signal of, "we talk extreme, but don't act extreme" it is very easy to hem them in on the aspect that "Conservatives want two sets of rules" They want to tell you what you should do in your personal life, while those rules do not apply to them. Walker is out there talking about the "importance of family" while he has treated his like shit. He talks about "fathers needing to be in the home" while he goes out tomcatting and neglecting his wife and son. He says that he would sponsor and vote for banning all abortion with no exceptions and then he encourages and reimburses a girlfriend for an abortion because he didn't want another kid.

The important thing is what our side does on the framing.

[Hugh_Lebowski]

15. Totally agree my friend (nt)

[Leith]

22. Here's a scary angle that I hated thinking about

It's Georgia. The governor is Brian Kemp and the secretary of state is Brad Raffensperger. They had to bite the bullet in 2020, but they may very well give in to some strong rethug pressure to overturn Warnock's win and install Walker.

[Demsrule86]

8. He is going to lose IMHO.

[Bucky]

18. That would be nice, but the reality is

Walker is still in there neck and neck. Hell, he could carry out a playground shooting this coming weekend and still not drop below 45%

[Johonny]

10. No party would have run a person like this a few decades ago

He has baggage on top of baggage and zero experience winning an election at any level. It's amazing he so easily was thrown in as a viable Senator candidate.

[Bucky]

17. They wanted an easily controlled black candidate. Trump wanted a personal friend.

I try not to go down that path cause you get the wolf you feed, but the only reason they went with Walker is because they figured him being black would siphon off a small critical number of black votes from Warnock. Him being stupid, easily controlled, and susceptible to right wing talking points was only the gravy on top. They wanted a black guy, figuring how close the last election was. If it was about having a football hero on the ballot, they would've juiced up Fran Tarkenton on vitamin B12s and wheeled him out in front of the voters.

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

14. They figure he'll be easy to manipulate

[Bucky]

16. They could so easily win this race by forcing him to drop out and picking a replacement nominee

I don't know if that's a legal option, but lately I don't think Republicans have been feeling constrained by legalities.

Of course at this rate, the replacement candidate they're most likely to come up with is Wayne Williams

[gratuitous]

20. "Republicans couldn't give two hoots"

Put this on a gross of sampler pillows and distribute the pillows far and wide at 30 Rock. So that when the hard-boiled reporters and highly-paid newsreaders are telling us about the alleged morality or ethical behavior of Republicans, they can be reminded that despite their pious mouthings, Republicans really couldn't give two hoots about whatever moral pose they're trying to strike.

Matthew 15 : 8, quoting Isaiah 29 : 13.

[keithbvadu2]

21. Republican abortions are ok now.

[jaxexpat]

23. Republicans still see " black Republican candidate in Georgia " as a win.

So long as they consider him tamed to their side he's gold in their eyes.

[2naSalit]

24. Part of the hoopla...

Is to create an image of his popularity for argument after he loses his ass. Then the claims of rigged election will out.