Space, Power, and the State of the World

Dear Inner Circle Member,

It is hard to believe, but the entire first month of the year has come and gone.

There are only 218 days until Labor Day.

Republicans should target Labor Day, rather than Election Day, for all planning and campaign framing because after Labor Day people are much more aware of politics—and it is much harder to change their opinions. You will hear me say repeatedly that we must get our act together, figure out the choice we want to create for the voters, and have that choice and the arguments around it locked into place by Labor Day.

The fact is: If the election were today, the GOP would lose the House and maybe even the Senate. In last weekend’s Texas State Senate special election, Democrat Taylor Rehmet won in a district President Donald J. Trump carried by 17 points. The Democrat got 57 percent of the vote, flipping the seat for the first time since 1992. This upset was the result of low turnout—200,000 fewer people casts ballots on Saturday than they did during the 2022 midterm there. There was also an ice storm in Texas, which could have depressed votes. Still, every Republican should be concerned about this result.