Every four years, voters will see a handful of partisan apostates throw their support behind the other party’s nominee, but Republican support for Joe Biden’s Democratic candidacy is without modern precedent. The list includes GOP officials who’ve served as governors, senators, House members, and even several cabinet secretaries from Republican administrations.
This has left Donald Trump’s supporters in a bit of an awkward spot. A handful of Democrats spoke at the Republican National Convention, but they hadn’t been elected to federal or statewide office. The bottom line became unavoidable: Biden has considerably more Republican support — from high-profile GOP voices — than Trump does from Democrats.
And its against this backdrop that a new entity has taken shape over the summer called, “Democrat Voters Against Joe Biden.” Right off the bat, the name gives away the game: actual Democrats know the name of their party — they are Democratic voters, not Democrat voters — and only Republicans use the deliberately wrong grammar.
But The Daily Beast took a closer look at the some of the folks associated with the new group.
A new advocacy group ostensibly comprised of Democrats opposed to the election of Joe Biden appears to have the backing of few, if any, actual Democrats. Those involved, however, do include a Republican operative whose group illicitly funneled millions into political contests, a longtime Trump fan whose son works for the president’s campaign, and a self-described celebrity psychic who’s taught best practices for exorcisms. I can appreciate the partisan pressure that creates a dynamic like this. The Lincoln Project, led by anti-Trump Republican strategists, has had robust success — not only in raising money, but in generating interest in the group’s message. Similarly, Republican Voters Against Trump has had a big impact, highlighting testimonials from notable GOP voices, including some who actually served in the president’s administration. But if “Democrat Voters Against Joe Biden” intends to keep pace with its rivals, it appears to have a long way to go. It matters to the extent that it appears to be proving the opposite of the group’s intended point.
Steve Benen is a producer for "The Rachel Maddow Show," the editor of MaddowBlog and an MS NOW political contributor. He's also the bestselling author of "Ministry of Truth: Democracy, Reality, and the Republicans' War on the Recent Past."
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