Tricia Cotham, NC State Rep., who switched parties to become Republican was a GOP plant

[Tekken_Guy]

As I have pointed out on the other thread about Cotham this is example number zillion of Republicans generally trying to convince others that their ideas are good and right while Democrats don't do this because they don't believe that those who disagree with them are actually being sincere. As a result committed Democrats become committed Republicans three times more frequently than the reverse. This is -- I never tire of pointing this out -- the fundamental reason, per opinion polling, that changing demographics have failed to kill the Republican Party.

Honestly, the most hilarious part of this article is how they say that she received a 'standing ovation' from the GOP state convention and is called a 'rockstar' by Republican activists who are going to drop her like a pile of hot garbage the moment she loses her seat and ability to be useful to them as a turncoat.

I feel like maintaining 'rockstar' status among Republican activists, even decades after you did whatever the relevant thing was, is pretty easy. (Also, like, pretty much everyone expects Dan Bishop to retire and run for NC-AG, right? Cotham's positioned pretty nicely for a bid for his House seat in 2024. She lives outside of it theoretically, but like, just outside of it, and it would actually be pretty easy for a Republican remap to draw her into it.)

I have my doubts Cotham will be running for NC-08 next year. I can't imagine her doing well outside of Mecklenburg County in a primary. Besides the redrawn state house map is expected to have a seat in Matthews and Mint Hill that was evenly split between the two parties and Cotham would likely be encouraged to run for re-election to maximize its chances of going Republican.

[DrScholl]

Nothingburger.

Despite what Atlas and the media would have you believe, most state legislators have cordial cross-partisan relationships with one another.  Cotham previously served in the NC House before making a comeback last year; it would not be unusual for her former Republican colleagues to reach out with words of support given her seat is non-competitive (D+20.)

Something, something; the devil you know is better than the one you don't know., etc.

That never happens unless one party is intentionally trying to plant someone in a race for political gain. Your logic is about as sensible as saying that Willie Brown was just being bipartisan when he put two Republicans up to being California Assembly Speaker when Republican gained a narrow majority.

[Sol]

As I have pointed out on the other thread about Cotham this is example number zillion of Republicans generally trying to convince others that their ideas are good and right while Democrats don't do this because they don't believe that those who disagree with them are actually being sincere. As a result committed Democrats become committed Republicans three times more frequently than the reverse. This is -- I never tire of pointing this out -- the fundamental reason, per opinion polling, that changing demographics have failed to kill the Republican Party.

Honestly, the most hilarious part of this article is how they say that she received a 'standing ovation' from the GOP state convention and is called a 'rockstar' by Republican activists who are going to drop her like a pile of hot garbage the moment she loses her seat and ability to be useful to them as a turncoat.

I feel like maintaining 'rockstar' status among Republican activists, even decades after you did whatever the relevant thing was, is pretty easy. (Also, like, pretty much everyone expects Dan Bishop to retire and run for NC-AG, right? Cotham's positioned pretty nicely for a bid for his House seat in 2024. She lives outside of it theoretically, but like, just outside of it, and it would actually be pretty easy for a Republican remap to draw her into it.)

I have my doubts Cotham will be running for NC-08 next year. I can't imagine her doing well outside of Mecklenburg County in a primary. Besides the redrawn state house map is expected to have a seat in Matthews and Mint Hill that was evenly split between the two parties and Cotham would likely be encouraged to run for re-election to maximize its chances of going Republican.

Even that seat won't be a cinch for her, since a Matthews-Mint Hill-adjacent Charlotte seat is at best very narrowly Trump 2020, and that's with a pretty ugly gerrymander in a seat which is likely to become much less Republican and white. It's not possible to draw Forest district in this part of Mecklenburg, and she can't carpetbag because NC legislators have to live in their districts.

(Of course, this is assuming Republicans respect the Stephenson precedent, but if they don't she's also quite likely to get a primary challenger from whatever exurbs they dump her with).

I just pointed this out in a different thread, but Tricia Cotham's opponent in any future election is likely to be insanely well funded because she's deeply loathed by Democrats in the state. She's almost guaranteed to be outspent and outvolunteered by whoever her opponent is, and that matters in what at best will be a narrowly Republican seat.

[Tekken_Guy]

As I have pointed out on the other thread about Cotham this is example number zillion of Republicans generally trying to convince others that their ideas are good and right while Democrats don't do this because they don't believe that those who disagree with them are actually being sincere. As a result committed Democrats become committed Republicans three times more frequently than the reverse. This is -- I never tire of pointing this out -- the fundamental reason, per opinion polling, that changing demographics have failed to kill the Republican Party.

Honestly, the most hilarious part of this article is how they say that she received a 'standing ovation' from the GOP state convention and is called a 'rockstar' by Republican activists who are going to drop her like a pile of hot garbage the moment she loses her seat and ability to be useful to them as a turncoat.

I feel like maintaining 'rockstar' status among Republican activists, even decades after you did whatever the relevant thing was, is pretty easy. (Also, like, pretty much everyone expects Dan Bishop to retire and run for NC-AG, right? Cotham's positioned pretty nicely for a bid for his House seat in 2024. She lives outside of it theoretically, but like, just outside of it, and it would actually be pretty easy for a Republican remap to draw her into it.)

I have my doubts Cotham will be running for NC-08 next year. I can't imagine her doing well outside of Mecklenburg County in a primary. Besides the redrawn state house map is expected to have a seat in Matthews and Mint Hill that was evenly split between the two parties and Cotham would likely be encouraged to run for re-election to maximize its chances of going Republican.

Even that seat won't be a cinch for her, since a Matthews-Mint Hill-adjacent Charlotte seat is at best very narrowly Trump 2020, and that's with a pretty ugly gerrymander in a seat which is likely to become much less Republican and white. It's not possible to draw Forest district in this part of Mecklenburg, and she can't carpetbag because NC legislators have to live in their districts.

(Of course, this is assuming Republicans respect the Stephenson precedent, but if they don't she's also quite likely to get a primary challenger from whatever exurbs they dump her with).

I just pointed this out in a different thread, but Tricia Cotham's opponent in any future election is likely to be insanely well funded because she's deeply loathed by Democrats in the state. She's almost guaranteed to be outspent and outvolunteered by whoever her opponent is, and that matters in what at best will be a narrowly Republican seat.

But would she be able to win a primary for a seat like NC-08 or a statewide race?

[Okay, maybe Mike Johnson is a competent parliamentarian.]

Honestly, the most hilarious part of this article is how they say that she received a 'standing ovation' from the GOP state convention and is called a 'rockstar' by Republican activists who are going to drop her like a pile of hot garbage the moment she loses her seat and ability to be useful to them as a turncoat.

I feel like maintaining 'rockstar' status among Republican activists, even decades after you did whatever the relevant thing was, is pretty easy. (Also, like, pretty much everyone expects Dan Bishop to retire and run for NC-AG, right? Cotham's positioned pretty nicely for a bid for his House seat in 2024. She lives outside of it theoretically, but like, just outside of it, and it would actually be pretty easy for a Republican remap to draw her into it.)

Well, Cotham is still trumpeting things like medicaid expansion and 'protecting LGB not the T' rights along with a few other more 'progressive' positions that she ran on. As I understand it, while she's absolutely butchering Cooper's veto's on a number of fronts, she isn't just letting the NC GOP go hog wild... So the question becomes 1.) Would Republicans take a chance on a proven turncoat, who is keeping some of her liberal positions, in Congress? Or 2.) Is Cotham willing to absolutely make a 180 on all her positions and tow the party line enough to win a Republican primary? I suppose she's already proven she's a spineless coward, so I suppose it's possible.

This is not actually accurate; like most party switchers she is completely in lockstep with Republicans and will override any veto.

She's only championing medicaid expansion because Republicans agreed to it this session. Republican bills have been more closely focused on torturing trans kids this session, but she will vote to override SB 49 which is North Carolina's xeroxed copy of the original Don't Say Gay bill. And she's pushing an insane and extensive voucher giveaway that's funneling money to private schools that expel gay kids.

Jeff Van Drew maintained a vaguely moderate image and voting record for the first few years after his party switch and then asymptotically approached Generic R and occasionally even voting with the lunatic fringe. Even if Cotham were being, seeming, or feigning being a moderate now there's no reason she couldn't pull the same thing off in the future, especially if it's true that she lacks firm principles or political goals of her own other than putting the "principal" back in "principal-agent problem" for North Carolina's children.

[Dr. MB]

Nothingburger.

Despite what Atlas and the media would have you believe, most state legislators have cordial cross-partisan relationships with one another.  Cotham previously served in the NC House before making a comeback last year; it would not be unusual for her former Republican colleagues to reach out with words of support given her seat is non-competitive (D+20.)

Something, something; the devil you know is better than the one you don't know., etc.

I think in her case it was a little more than cordial

[Sol]

FYI, the Cotham affair with Tim Moore stuff was recently confirmed to me by a friend who's well connected with NC Republicans.

[Antonio the Sixth]

Frankly, it's the democrats' fault for getting duped. If we can't do proper vetting for our candidates we should expect to get ratf**ked every time.

(Of course as one infamous former Long Island congressman shows, the other side is potentially vulnerable to this as well, and we should look to exploit it.)

[Dan the Roman]

Frankly, it's the democrats' fault for getting duped. If we can't do proper vetting for our candidates we should expect to get ratf**ked every time.

(Of course as one infamous former Long Island congressman shows, the other side is potentially vulnerable to this as well, and we should look to exploit it.)

George Santos was having an affair with Tim Moore?