GOP strategist Alice Stewart has a long history as a professional turd polisher for some of the worst actors in Republican politics. Her former employers that she's been more than happy to come in the air and lie for include everyone from Mike Huckabee, to Ted Cruz, to Michelle Bachmann, to Rick Santorum.
During a panel discussion on ABC's This Week, viewers were treated to more of Stewart's gaslighting when the discussion turned to how Democrats should handle the issue of impeachment, whether or not it will hurt them in the midterms or not, and how Republicans will react if Trump starts issuing pardons for the likes of Paul Manafort and Michael Cohen.
STEWART: The key is motivating them, getting them out to vote. And clearly what we're seeing from some, from the president and others out there, dropping hint of possible impeachment to encourage Republicans to get out and vote and make sure that we can secure the House on the Republican side so Democrats don't come in and talk about impeachment.
What I’m hearing, talking across the country, people are focused on jobs and the economy. Trump’s base is there. All of this Manafort and Cohen and even Pecker, this is talk.
They don’t see it sticking with the president right now. They say that he hasn’t done anything wrong. I disagree. I think payoff to porn stars is wrong.
But the questionable -- the real word that hits a buzzword with a lot of voters is parole... if he starts... pardons... if he starts issuing pardons or talking about pardons, that is where his base is going to turn. They have a problem with that.
Sorry Alice, but this definitely will not be the straw that finally broke the camel's back.
Trump's base didn't blink an eye when he pardoned Scooter Libby, and Joe Arpaio, or Dinesh D'Felon, or the ranchers whose case sparked the Bundy's takeover of the refuge in Oregon. They are not going to care if Trump pardons Manafort, or Cohen, or Flynn, or his family, or himself for that matter. As long as he's a member of their tribe and he's "sticking it to the libs" and has Fox News state-run TV cheering him along, they don't care what he does or how much damage it does to what's left of our democracy.
And sadly, as long as his base sticks with him, these spineless or complicit Republicans in the Congress aren't going to turn on him either. They care about retaining power and that's it.
