Can Trump help Democrats take back the House? Here's a big thing to watch.

[DonViejo]

By Greg Sargent February 22 at 9:31 AM

THE MORNING PLUM:

President Trump’s new plans for vastly expanded deportations, and the forthcoming new version of his immigration ban, are a reminder: Trump is governing in full accordance with the xenophobic nationalism that drove his campaign. That posture may have driven up huge numbers among blue-collar whites, which offset his relative losses among college-educated white voters and helped him win key Rust Belt states.

But now that he is president, can the brutal real-world realization of these policies boost Democratic chances of taking back the House? If this is possible, what does that tell us about the political staying power of Trumpism in a broader sense?

Nate Cohn has a good piece this morning that looks at the Democrats’ chances of recapturing the House and how they might pull that off. The key conclusion: While Trump still remains very popular among blue-collar whites, those voters may not be all that decisive in the battle to wrest House seats from Republican incumbents. That’s because many of the districts where Republicans are weak have higher concentrations of college-educated whites and Latinos:

Across the nation, the most vulnerable Republican incumbents among the 50 or so most competitive seats tend to be in relatively well-educated, metropolitan districts with above-average Hispanic populations. It’s the opposite of most of the 2016 presidential battleground states, which were whiter, less educated and far less Hispanic than the country as a whole.

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https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/plum-line/wp/2017/02/22/can-trump-help-democrats-take-back-the-house-heres-a-big-thing-to-watch/?utm_term=.812f887da3d8&wpisrc=nl_popns&wpmm=1

[murielm99]

1. We need viable candidates.

In my district, I have no idea who would run against our POS republican congressman. We have fallen down on the job at the local level.

[JudyM]

3. Have you checked out Our Revolution? They're working to drum up grass root Dem candidates

and support their efforts, including training them how to run successfully, at every level of state and local government.

[murielm99]

4. If this is some Bernie Sanders thing,

count me out. I am not interested in re-fighting the primary. I am not interested in revolution. I am interested in electing Democrats.

[JudyM]

5. It's not about the primary, it's about harnessing enthusiasm and building our party back up.

It is an offshoot from Bernie's campaign. I don't know of any other groups that are doing this, though, do you?

[murielm99]

6. Of course I do.

There are Democratic organizations and Democratic central committees all over the place looking for candidates.

Bernie has reverted to being an independent for his Senate re-election campaign. I have no further interest in anything he does.

[JudyM]

7. Ok, each to her own, of course.

Some local groups aren't doing much in the way of getting out new potential candidates, just trying to be (apparently not) helpful.

[PoliticAverse]

2. It all depends on voter turnout. Highly motivated Democratic voters actually showing up...

and voting would make the difference.