Republicans Must Shift Focus To Election Season, Not Election Day

As new and forward-thinking Wisconsin Republican Party Chairman Brian Schimming demanded, the GOP must refocus its efforts away from the traditional election day and towards the new election season.

Schimming repeatedly told interviewers in recent days that emphasis must now be squarely on early voting and mail-in ballots. And while this may seem like heresy to many Republicans, it is also the new reality for winning elections.

Sounding like a Democrat, at least in this one instance, does not automatically make him wrong. Democrats have successfully changed the dynamic of national voting, and as RedState noted, there are only three options available to the GOP.

The focus can remain only on election day, complaints may further be lodged against “massive fraud” and “stolen” elections, or the reality of the new election season may be accepted and utilized for victory.

The first and second options are both valid and have plenty of justification. However, they also come with a roadmap to continued narrow defeats and being on the outside looking in.

Winning majorities in state houses is the only way to stem the tide of early voting, and there still is a likelihood of losing these challenges in the judicial system.

As Schimming clearly stated, the new normal must be accounted for. He explained that he does not “change just for change’s sake. But I’m sending the signal not only internally but externally that if it works we will enhance it.”

If it’s not successful, he added, “it goes.”

Schimming realizes he does not have the backing of big Hollywood donors and is lacking in billionaire benefactors. This, he said, means “we need to be raising money in the most cost-effective, focused way.”

And as for Election Day, he believes that Republicans cannot go into the day “100,000-200,000 votes down and expect we are going to make it up in 13 hours.” This means winning the war before that day through early voting and mail-in ballots along with effective fund-raising.

GOP leaders across the U.S. are well-advised to follow Schimming’s wisdom. Unless the system reverts back to yesteryear — and that’s highly doubtful — the future of the party depends on adapting to the new normal and beating the Democrats at their own game.