An Update on Michigan's Senate Race

Peter Meijer Drops Out of Senate Race and Republicans are Happy? 

According to allsides.com, Fox leans to the right while CNN leans to the left. 

                                                via CNN; Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images

The Headlines

Fox: Ex-House Republican who voted to impeach Trump drops Michigan Senate bid

CNN: Peter Meijer drops out of Michigan GOP Senate race

The Story 

Meijer dropped out of Michigan's Senate race last Friday, but as Fox's article highlights- there is a reason why Republicans are sparring their tears. According to Fox, Meijer "was one of ten House Republicans who voted to impeach former President Donald Trump for his role in the Jan. 6, 2021, protests at the U.S. Capitol." (Morris, 2024). Thus, Trump was very pleased with the race's latest update. Trump took to social media regarding the issue stating, "Last time he lost in the Primary to a nice, but unknown, person, and now he lost to a GREAT Candidate, Mike Rogers...Happily, the 10 Impeachers are just about gone." (Trump's Social Media) Additionally, the Fox article shares updates on the campaigns of the other 'impeachers'. 

CNN's article, of course, mentions that Meijer was one of the few Republicans who voted to impeach Trump. However, CNN's perspective on the action is much more positive. According to CNN, "One of just 10 House Republicans who voted to impeach former President Donald Trump after the January 6, 2021, riot, Meijer narrowly lost his House primary race in the 2022 midterms to a Trump-endorsed challenger. He entered the state’s Senate race last year despite discouragement from the national party." (Rokus et al, 2024). Additionally, the article provides Meijer's dropout statement and iterates the Republican backlash he faced after voting to impeach Trump. 

The Takeaways

Fox

• Meijer voted to impeach Trump 
• Trump posted on social media criticizing Meijer and his campaign performance 
• Updates on the campaigns of other 'impeachers'. 

CNN 

• Meijer voted to impeach Trump 
• Provides Meijer's dropout statement
• Emphasizes Republican action after Meijer's vote

Connection to Class 

In our discussions for Week 13, we were asked to reflect on how voters evaluate a candidate with the suggestion that in today's climate, important matters such as political stance are overlooked. This story provides a great example of that occurring. Both CNN and FOX highlight that there was indeed a  Republican backlash from Meijer's impeachment vote. Both articles fail to highlight the candidate's political stances and instead focus on his relations with Trump.

Is it fair to evaluate Meijer based on a singular vote? And if so, does the assessment of his vote stand as a legitimate method of evaluation. In my opinion, this is another example of revenge politics. 

Resources

Morris, K. (2024, April 27). Ex-House Republican who voted to impeach Trump drops Michigan Senate bid. Fox News

https://www.foxnews.com/politics/ex-house-republican-voted-impeach-trump-drops-michigan-senate-bid

Rokus. B, Pelllish, A. Blackburn, P (2024, April 26). Peter Meijer drops out of Michigan GOP Senate race. CNN

https://www.cnn.com/2024/04/26/politics/peter-meijer-drops-out-of-michigan-gop-senate-race/index.html

RFK vs The Establishment

Democrats and Republicans Agree, RFK JR is a threat. 

According to allsides.com, Fox leans to the right while Politico leans to the left. 

                                                                via Bloomberg.com 

The Headlines 

Fox: Trump accuses RFK Jr. of being a 'Democrat plant' and 'wasted protest vote'

Politico: Trump rails against RFK Jr., calling him a ‘wasted protest vote’

The Story 

It seems as if the Democratic and Republican parties have found a common enemy; Robert F. Kennedy Jr. On social media, Trump took the time to criticize RFK in hopes of deterring his votes from considering the candidate. According to Fox News, RFK is "unpopular with both parties' establishment" (Nerozzi, 2024). Trump, specifically, is claiming that "RFK Jr. is a Democrat "Plant," a Radical Left Liberal who’s been put in place to help Crooked Joe Biden, the Worst President in the History of the United States, get Re-Elected. In a very aggressive stance, Trump states "A Vote for Junior’ would essentially be a WASTED PROTEST VOTE, that could swing either way, but would only swing against the Democrats if Republicans knew the true story about him."

Politico reports the story in a similar matter, emphasizing that RFK is a threat to both the Republican and Democratic presidential campaigns. According to Politico, "Kennedy’s seemingly green policies, as well as his historically Democratic-aligned last name, have made him a perceived threat to Biden’s ability to consolidate the party’s vote in the 2024 election" (Ewing, 2024). However, the article does indicate that "Kennedy is drawing voters more evenly away from both candidates, putting the GOP — and Trump — increasingly on the offensive." (Ewing, 2024). This statistic clearly shows why Trump is taking the time to bash the candidate online. 

The Takeaways

Fox

• Trump believes RFK is a democratic plant and suggests a vote for him would be a wasted effort. 
• RFK Jr. does have democratic ties outside of the legacy of his family. 
• The DNC has tried to silence the threat of RFK before. 

Politico

• Trump believes RFK is a democratic plant and suggests a vote for him would be a wasted effort. 
• Kennedy is drawing attention from Democratic and Republican voters at an even rate. 
• Both Trump and Biden have distanced themselves from RFK Jr. 

Resources 

Nerozzi, T. (2024, April 27).Trump accuses RFK Jr. of being a 'Democrat plant' and 'wasted protest vote'. Fox News 

https://www.foxnews.com/politics/trump-accuses-rfk-jr-democrat-plant-wasted-protest-vote

Ewing, G. (2024, April 27).Trump rails against RFK Jr., calling him a ‘wasted protest vote’. Politico

https://www.politico.com/news/2024/04/27/trump-rfk-jr-2024-election-00154746

Why Do We Care Who The Rock Endorses as President?

 

The Rock Shares His Political Stance

According to allsides.com, Fox News leans to the right while USA Today leans to the left.