Trump’s former campaign manager on GOP ahead of midterms: ‘It’s ugly’
Stepien isn't exactly a neutral observer, but when someone who ran the last presidential campaign for the party's standard-bearer says things look "ugly," it's worth paying attention. He knows the mechanics of these races, and he's not the only insider sounding alarms. The corruption allegations he cites are real news, but they're also a reminder that voters have short memories when the economy and daily costs dominate their concerns.
The interesting part is what Stepien leaves unsaid. Republicans have spent months betting that inflation and border security would carry them through, and those issues may still matter more than any scandal. But internal divisions over strategy and messaging have a way of turning advantages into squabbles. I'd want to know whether he thinks the problem is the issues themselves or how the party is talking about them.
What makes this worth following is that it's a test of whether scandal coverage moves the needle in an environment where most voters have already made up their minds. My guess is it matters at the margins, and in close races, the margins decide everything.