Washington — Senate minority leader Mitch McConnellvoted formost important gun violence preventionbillin nearly 30 years He provided his candid explanation of the turnaround decades later against the limits of firearms.
"It's a well-known fact that we lost ground in the suburbs. We own most of the countryside and small towns of America. And this is the problem in front of us, So I think it's a wise solution to school safety and mental health, "McConnell told reporters. "Yes, I hope that what we need to get back to be a majority next year will be seen favorably by suburban voters."
The Kentucky Republican goal is the suburbs. To downplay the controversial issues that voters may sympathize with the Democratic Party of Japan. Image of this voter group prior to the midterm elections
Republican leaders aide familiar with McConnell's ideas put the 2022 midterm elections in the referendum of President Joe Biden Said I wanted to. Inflation and gas prices will empower the Republicans to return to the majority. "It's not about Trump, it's not about guns, it's not about abortion, but it's about actually staying up late," he said. That means, if the deal is popular, "occasionally take your foot off the gas" from the opposition, without sacrificing his principles, the aide said.
McConnell's theory is based on political restructuring. Since 2012, culturally conservative rural areas that have been divided between political parties have changed sharply towards Republicans, but the more moderate and well-educated suburbs that once voted for the GOP tend towards Democrats. there is. .. Big cities are still democratic, suburban voters seem to be new voters, and many Republicans have fled the Republicans after the rise of Trump.
But McConnell has a problem. Cultural issues continue to be the main driving force of the Republican Party, which remains largely a pro-Trump, and his endorsed bipartisan agreement — from gun law to infrastructure packages to new agreements to prevent future elections — It is unlikely to work well with Republican primaries or conservative voters.
John Fredericks, chair of Trump's 2016 and 2020 campaigns in Virginia and host of the right-wing real-American voice platform, named McConnell his buddy " The result of the bipartisan deal he called "RINO Uniparty Loser" was the result of "fear" of Trump's return to power.
While attacking the Kentuckies, Trump himself held a rally and promoted the far-right candidate. "Mitch McConnell and his RINO [name-only Republican] friends want Democrats like Biden to be president rather than Republicans like me," he recently claimed. .. Earlier, he said: "As far as Mitch McConnell is concerned, I wasn't a fan and no critic was as harsh as I was. He was absolutely terrible and very bad for the Republicans."
'You Knows who lives in the suburbs. Millennial
McConnell has another problem. The suburbs are more liberal and diverse than they were a decade or two ago, with alternations of generations and more and more millennials. } More than Generation X elders and baby boomer generation parents.
"I don't know how effective [McConnell's] strategy is at this point," said John Dela Volpe, polling director at the Harvard Kennedy School of Political Science. "You know who lives in the suburbs. Millennials and young people. Millennials with these values are moving to the suburbs and changing politics."
Dela Volpe Said Donald Trump's "snowball effect" is back in the news. The front desk and center will be issued in the middle of 2022.
While 15 Senate Republicans voted for a modest gun bill written by Senators Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) And John Conn (R-Texas), 33 Republicans. Voted against it.
Regarding abortion, McConnell praised the groundbreaking ruling of overturning the Roe v. Wade case, but he downplayed its effects by saying "it doesn't mean there is no abortion." He predicted that it was a "very delicate issue" and Congress would not have the right to vote to ban abortion nationwide.
"In the Senate, most things require 60 votes," he said at a recent event in Kentucky. "Neither side of the matter could get close to 60 votes, so I think it's likely that all of this will be filed and dealt with in different states across the country."
Still, other Republicans, such as Senator Joni Ernst and Senator Kevin of Iowa, who are members of McConnell's leadership team, remain open toand are pursuing restrictions on abortion. .. Kramer in North Dakota and Ted Cruz in Texas.
McConnell vowed to maintain the 60-vote threshold if Republicans came to power and it interfered with their goals. But progressives don't believe him.
"If there is an opportunity, there is no doubt that Mitch McConnell will try to enforce a national abortion ban, which is 50 years for the Republicans to overturn the Roe v. Wade case. And they use everything, says Nerini Stamp, director of national organization for the Progressive Working Family Party:
'Different Political Environment'
Roe v. Wade, a former Deputy Chief Assistant to McConnell and now co-leader of Pricewaterhouse Coopers' national tax practices, said McConnell was willing to make some transactions. Even for those who remembered far fewer deals during the Obama administration.
He said this was primarily a product of parliamentary mathematics. 50-50 Senate, 60 votes against most bills With the rules, and the majority of very thin houses, the Democrats know that the agenda needs to be slimmed down in order to pass a major bill.
"So for me, it's President Obama. There is no fundamental difference between President Byden,or McConnell's affinity for Bydenor non-affinity with Obama, "he said. "More than that, they work in different political environments. They are forced to be more calm in their ambitions, and as a result, they want bipartisan results, and they want it. So they are getting more bipartisan results. "
In addition, Republican Senate aides commented on how the outcome of these policies would be viewed by GOP voters. I answered in one word.
"I don't like it," said the aide. "It's a difficult sale."
Sources frankly said on condition of anonymity that McConnell's deal represents a diversion from the Obama era. The president who weakens him politically.
"Since January 6, McConnell's broader political view has changed to some extent, and he is concerned about his legacy," the aide said. "And if he went completely under Biden to McConnell in the Obama era and was like" nothing passing ", he actively blamed the unpleasant elements of the party and the Trumpian side of the party. I think it may be related to what is being done, in the way he is trying to avoid.
"That means he's more opposed to the base and probably more obedient to dealings with Biden," he added. "From his point of view, he is the ultimate deal maker, interested in all races and has a majority, but in these primaries the gun invoice will be responsible. . "
