Are you tired of the Republican establishment yet? If not, you just might be after reading this story.
American Crossroads, a Republican Super PAC started by Karl Rove, a relic of the George W. Bush administration, has begun running ads designed to prop up Josh Shapiro, a Democratic candidate running for governor in Pennsylvania. His Republican opponent, Doug Mastriano, is currently trailing him by about 10 percentage points according to the latest RealClearPolitics average.
But it appears Rove and his buddies are seeking to strengthen Shapiro’s lead over Mastriano by running a television ad that uses Democratic Pennsylvania Senate candidate John Fetterman as a foil. The video features footage of Fetterman claiming to be tough on crime. Then, it moves to a woman who says “John Fetterman’s record on crime is crazy.”
Another notes that he is “not like most Democrats.”
Still another person points out that “dozens of times he was the only vote to pardon criminals.”
One of the narrators argues:
225 times Josh Shapiro voted against the criminals, but Fetterman voted to release them. That’s nuts. Fetterman’s way more radical than Shapiro.
You see what they are doing here, right? American Crossroads is playing both sides, essentially supporting Dr. Oz while subtly attacking Mastriano.
I spoke with former Senate candidate Kathy Barnette, who lost to Dr. Oz in the primaries after a deceptive smear campaign against her led by Fox News host Sean Hannity and former Acting Director of National Intelligence Ric Grenell. She said:
This ad is such a blatant display of the Republican “machine’s” hypocrisy. They, the Establishment, turn to Conservatives and demand that we line up behind the Republican ticket whether we agree with the slate or not. They tell us to “Hold our nose” and vote if we have to. Yet, in these waning hours we see the “machine” now openly attack a strong Conservative, Doug Mastriano in the gubernatorial race in PA. This is blatant disrespect, and a clear picture of just how the establishment views their Conservative base… with contempt.”
So why would this Super PAC try to ensure that Mastriano loses?
The answer is simple. He represents everything the establishment despises. He’s an America First candidate who dares to question the outcome of the 2020 presidential election. Mastriano has nothing in common with the squishy Romney types preferred by Rove and other irrelevant remnants from the neocon era.
But make no mistake – even if Mastriano does not win his election, the writing is on the wall. The days of establishment dominance over the GOP and the conservative movement are numbered. It will be only a matter of time before these people lose their power despite their desperate attempts to cling to their positions
