ICYMI: Wall Street Journal Issues Stark Warning to House GOP After Their Extremism Purged Vulnerable Congressman

Wall Street Journal: "The Congressman's retirement is a bad omen for Republicans."

Last week, House Republicans saw the beginning of a REDXIT when Ohio Congressman Anthony Gonzalez announced he would not run for reelection, blaming the party's increasingly extremist direction, thanks to Kevin McCarthy's fealty to Trump.

Reminder: Minority Leader McCarthy called Rep. Gonzalez "a rising star" and even recently donated $10,000 to his reelection campaign.

Now, the Wall Street Journal is issuing a stark warning to House Republicans desperately clinging to the former President's lies and conspiracies ahead of the upcoming midterm elections: "A party that purges the likes of Anthony Gonzalez is diminishing its prospects to build a durable majority."

From Madison Cawthorn warning of 'bloodshed' over future elections, to Elise Stefanik pushing ads that promote the racist 'Replacement Theory' conspiracy, we won't be surprised if voters follow Rep. Gonzalez's lead and head for the exits themselves come 2022.

Read key excerpts from the editorial below:

Wall Street Journal: Purging Anthony Gonzalez

Editorial Board

September 19, 2021

Last week had some bad omens for Republicans. First they failed to recall California Gov. Gavin Newsom, and then Ohio Rep. Anthony Gonzalez announced he won't run for re-election in 2022. Both events reveal the Donald Trump problem that looms over GOP prospects next year and in 2024.

…

The retirement of Mr. Gonzalez is more significant because it highlights the dilemma that will confront GOP candidates in 2022. Mr. Gonzalez is the kind of young candidate Republicans need to expand their party's appeal.

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Mr. Trump's focus on the 2020 election is a major problem for the GOP. It divides the party, wasting energy and money on internecine fights rather than running against the damage from the Pelosi-Schumer-Biden agenda. It focuses on the past when voters want to hear about the present and future.

It also puts GOP candidates in a tough spot as they attempt to retake the suburban seats they will need to win the House, as well as swing Senate seats in Nevada, Arizona, Georgia and New Hampshire. If they don't swear fealty to the stolen election canard, they'll risk being attacked by Mr. Trump and his supporters. But if they do agree with the Trump line, they'll give Democrats an opening to tie them to the Jan. 6 riot and Mr. Trump's attempt to overturn the election result.

The latter won't go down well in suburban swing districts, which are full of voters who rejected the GOP in 2018 to send a message to Mr. Trump. They gave Mr. Trump a chance in 2016 but had enough by 2020 and made Joe Biden the President. Mr. Trump doesn't want to admit the centrality of his role in these defeats, but the electoral data are clear.

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