The headlines say it all: in Pennsylvania and North Carolina, Republicans have suffered through “particularly vicious,” “increasingly combustible,” “chaotic and expensive,” “free-for-all,” and “ugly” intraparty fights that will leave their eventual nominees badly damaged and out-of-step with general election voters.
See the headlines for yourself:
In Pennsylvania:
“David Bergstein, the communications director at the Democratic Senate campaign committee, said that Trump’s meddling in G.O.P. primaries was having an even greater effect on the Republican Party than many Democrats had anticipated. ‘Chaos begets chaos,’ he said.”
“Pennsylvania’s Republican Senate primary is in chaos.”
“Republicans in Washington and among the nationwide party elite are having a belated ‘oh s–t’ moment.”
“Trump called him, ‘absolutely the candidate of special interests’… Now McCormick enters the final days of a close race carrying the anvil Trump just dropped on him.”
“Attackers often tried to make hay out of the business ties to China by former hedge fund CEO David McCormick and Mehmet Oz.”
“Dr. Oz and former hedge-fund CEO David McCormick spend millions to tarnish each other in a key Senate GOP primary”
“China is smack in the middle of the campaign spotlight in the increasingly combustible Republican Senate primary in battleground Pennsylvania’s consequential and expensive race.”
“The Senate GOP primary in Pennsylvania has become a free-for-all.”
“The Oz and McCormick teams are preparing to engage in a war of attrition.”
And In North Carolina:
“…A chaotic and expensive primary contest that they worry could set them back ahead of the November general election.”
“‘We have a group called the Club for Growth, an outside Washington group, that is attempting to buy the GOP Senate nomination for about $15 million,’ McCrory told reporters Tuesday.”
“The falling out between Budd and Walker illustrates just how heated the primary has become.”
“‘As Ukrainians bled and died,’ McCrory says in the video, ‘Congressman Budd excused their killer.’”
“The GOP primary, on the other hand, has gotten particularly vicious.”
“Backroom deal-making threatened to shake up North Carolina’s Republican Senate primary last week. Now, it’s given way to public brawling.”
“The mailer is nevertheless brutal in its thoroughness. It’s the kind of ferocity that’s usually saved for a general election.”
“‘I don’t see how [Budd] can win a general election,’ Walker said in an interview.”
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