February 22 – A USA Today Suffolk poll released yesterday found that in more than 1,000 Republicans, 46% said if Donald Trump forms his own party, they will leave the GOP.
This could do real harm to the Republicans. Attorney Clint Barkdoll, Pat Ryan and Michele Jansen of the Big Talk on 103.7FM discussed the issue today.
“Only 27% said they’re staying (in the Republican Party),” Barkdoll noted. “And the balance said they’re undecided. The Republicans have got to figure this out.”
With Trump scheduled for his first public speaking engagement since leaving office next week, news of a third party could be in the future.
“If those numbers are true the Republican Party has a big problem on its hands if he forms this new party shortly and roughly half of republicans say we’re gone,” Barkdoll warned.
Jansen can understand why people would follow Trump and this possible third party, “but the reality is that’s going to split the Republicans drastically and it probably just guarantees more seats for the Democrats and more liberal progressive ideas getting further power.”
She wishes “people would direct their ire more at what caused this and I hope the Trump people and Trump himself realizes the danger of that and they find a way to unite because the principals should be there. Everyone should agree on those principals of smaller government, following the constitution, capitalism is not evil, as much as the progressive left is trying to frame it that way – it’s not the cause of racism and it’s not the cause of slavery.”
Barkdoll added that especially in some of the deep red states and deep red districts, a divide in the Republican Party could mean Democrats picking up seats.
“Based on this polling data I think there’s some real red flags here for the Republicans that they need to get on top of this and try to figure it out,” he said.
Ryan wondered how many Democrats are jumping ship? “All you have to do is look at the mess that is being made already and we’re only on the sixth week of this disaster.”
The poll in USA was limited to Republican Trump voters, but a similar one for Democrats would certainly be interesting and may already be out.
