‘We just have to bother the crap out of these people’: How the GOP is confronting its voter enthusiasm deficit

Republicans heading into the November midterms are facing a problem that Democrats do not: getting their own supporters excited enough to vote. Polling from CNN/SSRS shows 61% of registered voters leaning Democratic are extremely motivated this year, compared with 34% four years ago, while Republican motivation has barely moved. Pew Research finds Republicans are also less inclined than Democrats to say the House outcome matters.

Party figures in several states echo the worry. Georgia gubernatorial nominee Rick Jackson fears rural voters have grown complacent, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis called turnout underwhelming, and Texas railroad commissioner candidate Bo French has urged Republicans, men in particular, to show up. An unnamed Republican National Committee official said the party must defend President Donald Trump's record during economic anxiety while arguing a Democratic Congress would be worse.

A CNN analysis of early voting in Kansas and North Carolina shows Democrats with big leads among people who skipped recent elections, though that edge may not last. Trump drew many such occasional voters two years ago. Milwaukee County Republican chairman Hilario Deleon said many of them still do not grasp why midterms matter, and groups like Turning Point USA are building operations to chase them down.

Summarized by PolitiKool from CNN’s reporting. Read the full story at CNN →