Ed Kilgore on 6 takeaways from the very special election in Georgia. Ossoff’s Georgia special election loss to GOP’s Handel exposes deep fissures in the Democratic Party in the Trump era (and more). This might be the worst Democratic freak-out ever. Scott Lemieux: “GA-6: If everyone else has a take, I guess I should too”. Nancy LeTourneau on why moral victories matter in special elections. Ossoff chose civility and it didn’t work — how do Democrats beat Trump? Don’t focus on Georgia — voter suppression is the issue. Where can Democrats win? Losses in Georgia and South Carolina don’t necessarily mean Democrats are going to lose in 2018. Pelosi faces growing doubts among Dems after Georgia loss. Calls for Nancy Pelosi to be replaced as Democratic Minority Leader are short-sighted.
The overall message of 2017 special elections is that Republicans are in trouble: Democrats are consolidating Clinton’s gains, and Republicans aren’t consolidating Trump’s. Anti-anti-Trumpism is the glue holding together the Republican Party. The culture war is alive and well — and Republicans will keep fighting it. It’s Trump’s party now: The Republican triumph in an affluent, educated Georgia congressional district showed GOP voters standing by their president.
