Judy: Republican party leaders
converge on Las Vegas this
weekend delivering speeches to
the Republican jewish coalition
on the future of the party.
For many, including former
president Donald Trump Huber
dissipated virtually, it is an
early chance to test possible
2024 presidential campaign
messages.
Here is a sampling of what some
of them said.
>> We have to choose candidates
that can win not just a primary
but a general election.
>> Let's stop supporting crazy
and unelectable candidates.
>> Personality and celebrity
will not get it done.
>> The reason we are losing is
because Donald Trump has put
himself before everybody else.
Judy: Here to discuss this and
more is Amy Walter and Cameron
Keith of NPR.
Hello to both of you.
Politics Monday.
You hear what the candidates are
saying about not supporting
crazy candidates.
What is the message?
>> If we keep nominating Donald
Trump we are going to keep
losing races that are winnable.
That is a message for some of
the candidates but the person
that got the most attention and
will continue to do so is Ron
Desantis.
He went up in same -- he went in
front of the same voters and did
not mention Donald Trump or
candidates that were
unsuccessful, he talked about
how he was successful and is
delivering for Florida and that
was the message.
Look, we had a really bad or
disappointing performance and
some of these states in 2022 and
we did not have that happen in
Florida.
A not-so-subtle reminder to
these voters that they do have
other choices who have a track
record.
And he spent the rest of the
speech talking about the ways in
which he like Donald Trump going
after wokeness.
Going after those that want to
take away freedoms.
Touching the same cultural spots
that Donald Trump does very well
with primary voters.
Judy: Using some of the trump
message to talk to these
Republican movers and shakers.
How is the message landing?
>> I think we are in a phase
right now where there are a lot
of people who are talking about
running but not yet running.
And you have some of these very
same people talking about Donald
Trump being unelectable.
We are talking about trump being
unelectable and bad for the
party in 2015 and 2016.
Some of the people that appeared
there were running against him
and then ultimately endorsed
him.
I think what we don't know right
now is is this going to be
another really crowded field
like 2015 and 2016 where Donald
Trump has a titanium piece of
the pie and no one can break
into that titanium piece of the
pie?
Or is this going to be a
completely different here?
I think all of us in politics
have a tendency to fight the
last battle or war and see the
last cycle or the next cycle as
being like the last cycle.
We don't know if we are reliving
2015 or if this will be a
completely different year and
Donald Trump will not be the
same factor he was or maybe Ron
Desantis or who knows, a
broadcast of promising young
Republicans of the next
generation.
Judy: I'm going to remember
titanium piece of the pie.
But speaking of this cycle and
remnants of the cycle and the
runoff election in Georgia
between the incumbent Raphael
Warnock, the Democrat being
challenged by Herschel walker
and speaking of Donald Trump,
where does that look?
>> It is fascinating because it
is coming up right after
Thanksgiving on December 6.
Herschel walker did not just
underperform compared to say
where Donald Trump was in some
of these places but he
underperformed the gubernatorial
nominee and the current governor
Ryan Kemp by about 200,000
votes.
Kemp got 200,000 more votes than
Herschel walker and the governor
went out and campaigned with
Herschel walker over the
weekend.
The goal is to get some of those
people who voted for Kemp back
on the Herschel walker train.
That would have been easier if
this word the race to determine
the control of the senate.
You make the case to the voters,
you may not like this guy but he
is the difference between
Republicans or Democrats being
in charge.
You don't have the same message
so trying to figure out how to
get those voters, especially
when you look at the map where
he underperformed.
He still needs to turn out the
base.
He has to get those suburban
voters.
It is not clear he has the
message to do that.
Judy: There is not the incentive
for Republicans right now.
>> You have a situation where
people were Luke warm enough on
Herschel walker to not vote for
him or to vote for Rafael
Warnock and Brian Kemp or not
vote at all.
Are those people going to show
up to an election where they
have to go out of their way to
vote when there is no one else
on the ballot except this person
they feel lukewarm about?
In the question on the
democratic side is the same
incentive question.
If senate control isn't at stake
will they be as motivated as
they were earlier in November?
And clearly, the heavy headers
are coming out because -- heavy
hitters are coming out because
former president Barack Obama is
coming out and there is no one
that rallies Democrats like
former president Obama.
Judy: Who has the greatest
incentive building party.
Something we hate to think about
but the latest tragic shooting.
Another lgbtq club.
A few years ago you had the
shooting in Paul's in Orlando,
Florida and now this one.
-- In pulse in Orlando, Florida
and now this one.
We hate to think about it but
there has been a lot of
conversation about gay issues
and transgender.
To what extent?
>> I was thinking about this
today and how these places,
especially in recent times,
quite frankly it is horrible to
say, even in the last few weeks.
Places that are supposed to be
havens for safety and security.
Schools -- university of
Virginia, university of Idaho
and now this nightclub where
every one of the patrons said
this was our sanctuary where we
felt safe.
The fact that our places of
safety and comfort have been
breached, that is where you just
feel and so many Americans feel
this way, just that the country,
our system, whatever it is is so
off-track.
And if we cannot enjoy these
places that should be peace
and safety, then nowhere is safe
and that is a really sobering
and pretty depressing thought.
And reality.
Judy: It is.
And solutions?
>> Certainly there is talk again
of trying to have at least for
the Democrats and president, an
-- a ban on assault weapons.
There is a disconnect.
There was strongly bipartisan
legislation in support of
same-sex marriage days before
the attack happened on this
nightclub.
There is a disconnect between
the politics.
There is growing acceptance of
lgbtq communities and yet at the
same time, and it is not clear
the motives, but the sense of
backlash at the same time.
Judy: Ugly language still out
there coming up in dark corners
of where these conversations
come from.
Tough subject.
Something we are all trying to
live with right now.
Amy Walter and Tamron, thank you
to you both.
>> You are welcome.
♪♪