Great piece and spot-on analysis. We need to contest as many of these districts as possible. And the way to do it is reasonable normie candidates with reasonable normie platforms to draw a clear contrast against MAGA extremism.
I'm curious if you think Derrick Van Orden is genuinely vulnerable. Now, the Democratic challengers seem potentially viable - Rebecca Cooke got the Blue Dog endorsement and perhaps has some crossover appeal with her blue-collar roots. But Biden could win WI by a couple points (may it be so!!!) and Trump would still carry Van Orden's district, so our candidate will need to flip a good number of Trump voters. And she will need to do so against an incumbent with an incredibly compelling biography as a 20+ year veteran Navy SEAL, for whose service I and all Americans owe a great debt. Even Van Orden's drunken yelling incident can be spun positively for him - here's a guy who risked his life on multiple combat tours, and now he sees some privileged little shits laying around the Capital like they own the place!?!? I suspect the public will side with a veteran (rightly America's most beloved group) over a bunch of young college-educated staffers (arguably America's most hated group). So as much as his behavior was unbecoming of his office, I don't think it works as a hit and it might even backfire and make him more popular.
Do you think Van Orden is beatable? And if so, what's the message?
Great piece and spot-on analysis. We need to contest as many of these districts as possible. And the way to do it is reasonable normie candidates with reasonable normie platforms to draw a clear contrast against MAGA extremism.
I'm curious if you think Derrick Van Orden is genuinely vulnerable. Now, the Democratic challengers seem potentially viable - Rebecca Cooke got the Blue Dog endorsement and perhaps has some crossover appeal with her blue-collar roots. But Biden could win WI by a couple points (may it be so!!!) and Trump would still carry Van Orden's district, so our candidate will need to flip a good number of Trump voters. And she will need to do so against an incumbent with an incredibly compelling biography as a 20+ year veteran Navy SEAL, for whose service I and all Americans owe a great debt. Even Van Orden's drunken yelling incident can be spun positively for him - here's a guy who risked his life on multiple combat tours, and now he sees some privileged little shits laying around the Capital like they own the place!?!? I suspect the public will side with a veteran (rightly America's most beloved group) over a bunch of young college-educated staffers (arguably America's most hated group). So as much as his behavior was unbecoming of his office, I don't think it works as a hit and it might even backfire and make him more popular.
Do you think Van Orden is beatable? And if so, what's the message?