Politico: Team Trump turns to Rove playbook to juice 2018 turnout

[Virginiá]

Republicans are considering putting hot-button initiatives on the ballot to excite the base when little else currently is

http://www.politico.com/story/2017/08/28/trump-karl-rove-2018-elections-242074

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Last quote box seems relevant here. Personally, I'm not convinced some drab tax issues will drive up turnout in the way Republicans need.

Thoughts?

[MarkD]

If conservatives try something like that in Missouri, it will produce an interesting competitive dynamic along the lines of: will more liberals come out to vote or will more conservatives? Liberals in Missouri already have something that they have put on the ballot in November, 2018 -- a referendum to overturn the right-to-work law signed by Gov. Greitens. That initiative will likely produce a strong motivation for urban/suburban liberals to get out 'n' vote.

[Zioneer]

They think tax reform will get out the vote? Really?

It's social issues that crank out the vote, everyone knows that.

[Figueira]

Democrats need to fight back with our own ballot questions. Weed?

[Yank2133]

They think tax reform will get out the vote? Really?

It's social issues that crank out the vote, everyone knows that.

Yup.

The GOP is clueless about what drives their base if this is true. No one outside of the beltway types give a crap about tax reform.

Playing victim and social issues is what drives these people.

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This is obvious to anyone who has paid attention to mid-term elections in this country. At the end of the day, they are driven by the presidents performance. Republicans are fooling themselves if they think hyper partisanship and gerrymandering will protect them from a Trump backlash.

[Tartarus Sauce]

They're blowing smoke up their own ass. The only issues that could unite the grievances of all Republicans and turn out the vote will produce an even more vicious backlash from liberals who are already fired up over Trump. Trump's core supporters couldn't give a crap about tax reform.

[Roblox]

They think tax reform will get out the vote? Really?

It's social issues that crank out the vote, everyone knows that.

^This. The kind of republican base voters their talking about don't care about super wonky subjects such as tax reform. They're looking for red meat, aka social issues.

[Yank2133]

They think tax reform will get out the vote? Really?

It's social issues that crank out the vote, everyone knows that.

^This. The kind of republican base voters their talking about don't care about super wonky subjects such as tax reform. They're looking for red meat, aka social issues.

Only problem is that the GOP has no boogeymen left to whip up. Nobody cares about gay marriage anymore, most people want legalized drugs, the bathroom bills are failing - even the GOP in Texas killed their bathroom bill.

It's not 2004 anymore and people are sick and tired of a 40 year old culture war that's been recycling the same issues. My guess is that the GOP will run on ''muh antifa, violent libs'' in 2018 but that probably wont even work since the GOP will fail miserably at legislating anything of substance and the party will descend into an all out civil war by 2018.

The GOP has run its course. Their ideas are on their way out. They have nothing to sell to the public anymore, especially when your president has a 30% approval rating on a good day.

They have one last card to play and that is white grievances.

[Technocracy Timmy]

This is obvious to anyone who has paid attention to mid-term elections in this country. At the end of the day, they are driven by the presidents performance. Republicans are fooling themselves if they think hyper partisanship and gerrymandering will protect them from a Trump backlash.

If the GOP was more controlled and didn't have a President with such a garbage approval rating, than these two factors plus geography could save their majorities. 538 calculated that the Demcorats have to win the PV by an entire 8 points in order to take back the House. That's the price gerrymandering and polarization come with.

As it stands the Democrats are currently projected to win the PV by 8-9 points so they're in a good position.

[PragmaticPopulist]

While it would fire up the very core of the base, it could also backfire and drive up Democratic turnout. Only the very core of the GOP really cares about suppressing LGBT people and banning abortion. Almost everyone who's concerned about tax reform has probably become a Democrat by now. The Republican Base is driven by culture wars, not wonky stuff like tax reform.

[Devout Centrist]

This isn't 2004

[Tired Old Fossil '24]

Gee uh we could stop those pesky gays from getting their hands on our delicious wedding cakes.

[Roronoa D. Law]

This would work if they actually stood for something.

[Mr. Smith]

And just how great did that minimum wage increase vow work for Democrats back in 2014?

[Rjjr77]

Tax reforms would absolutely work, if done correctly, it has even been proven effective (see prop 13 in california).
The avenue that could drive the base would actually be property tax reform.

[KingSweden]

I'm failing to see a single issue that could go on multiple ballots by Nov 18 that cuts across every swath of the GOP base like SSM did a decade ago

Don't see it

[Tintrlvr]

They think tax reform will get out the vote? Really?

It's social issues that crank out the vote, everyone knows that.

Yeah, this is a weird strategy. Tax cuts aren't something that motivates people to come out to vote in angry hordes at all, certainly not in favor of a governing party. Only thing I can think of is they are thinking that reminding wealthier voters that Republicans favor tax cuts will keep them more loyal than they were in 2016, but this has just as much a chance of backfiring among lower-income voters who swung to Trump and undermining his entire populist message.