Donald Trump Could Experience ‘Landslide’ Loss That Reshapes Republican Party, CNN Analyst Says
In a Saturday analysis for CNN, analyst Julian Zelizer claimed that Republicans should be “terrified” of the possibility that Donald Trump faces a “landslide” loss in November, which he argued could force the reshaping of the Republican Party.
Zelizer pointed to recent polling showing Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden holding a significant lead over Trump. He also noted that traditionally conservative states are transforming due to the influx of “young and diverse voters,” something he said could be accelerated due to the many people leaving urban areas amid the coronavirus pandemic.
“Trump’s botched response to the pandemic and his attempts to pander to extremists through backlash politics have forced a difficult conversation about the future of the Republican Party,” the CNN analyst wrote.
Zelizer pointed to two previous landslide victories — when Republican Ronald Reagan and Democrat Lyndon Johnson won their elections — and the subsequent shift in the American political landscape that followed each.
“Election victories of this scale and scope are harder to come by these days. The impact of a highly polarized electorate means that there are very few swing voters anymore. Most states are solidly blue or red, leaving elections to be won or lost in a handful of swing states, with slight margins decided by a small number of voters.”
The political history professor claimed that such a polarized election would likely take place in November. If the Democrats win by a significant margin, he claims that the GOP will have to do some “serious soul-searching” and propose “constructive policies” and a “new political strategy.”
Although the analysis concludes that the odds of a massive defeat are slim, it suggested that such a win would allow Biden to create a “new normal” for Washington that will pressure the Republican Party to rethink its strategy moving forward in the landscape of American politics.
Republicans are reportedly concerned about the possibility of a significant Trump loss at the ballot box that will lose them the Senate as well. One former GOP chief of staff said that the Senate is the most critical priority as it would be the last Republican center of power in government in the case of a Democratic victory.
As The Inquisitr reported, veteran GOP operative Jonathan Lockwood claimed that Trump’s loss in November could push the U.S. into chaos. He noted the recent pushback against Democratic governance amid the pandemic and suggested that it could reflect the possibility of a violent uprising if Democrats take power following the general election.
