WASHINGTON, D.C. -- The coronavirus outbreak comes in the middle of an election year, and is quickly turning political at the state and local level - much like it has at the federal level.
What sort of impact could it have come November? There are many unknowns, says one political expert.
The Protests
For the past few weeks, protesters have gathered in the streets of Raleigh, calling for a reopening of the state’s economy.
Political analyst Michael Bitzer, a professor at Catawba College, says even if the ReOpen NC gatherings only represent a minority voice, their message likely resonates with voters in the GOP base - a group that could be key to motivate heading into the fall.
“Their rhetoric about the ideological perspective is very much based in a conservative wing of the Republican Party: personal liberty, economic freedoms,” Bitzer said.
Already some politicians have latched onto the protests, including Congressman Dan Bishop, R-9th District. He attended the rally on April 21.
“North Carolina needs to be reopened,” he told Tim Boyum in an interview on Capital Tonight. “I’m here to honor the effort and the demonstration of these people.”
Meanwhile, the state Democratic Party has slammed the gatherings.
“As these protests continue to be propped up by shady Republican organizations and conservative local leaders, President Trump’s silence is deafening. It is long past time that he and his henchmen disavow these demonstrations,” said North Carolina Democratic Party communications director Austin Cook in a statement.
The Campaigns
The pandemic is a new curveball in the middle of an election year, reshaping how campaigns operate and do outreach.
It has also left candidates with a new issue to manage.
Bitzer says it could put Republicans on defense. “They are the ones that are going to have to defend the president’s track record on this. And if voters hold the president accountable, it could trickle down the ballot.”
Late last week, Politico reported that the National Republican Senatorial Committee sent a strategy memo to GOP campaigns, advising them to go after China over the virus. If a candidate is asked whether the spread of the virus is Trump’s fault, the memo recommends they “don’t defend Trump, other than the China Travel Ban - attack China.”
Several North Carolina Republicans have taken aim at China in recent weeks, including Sen. Thom Tillis, who is up for re-election this fall.
“China is responsible for this - at least the scale of what we’re going through - and we’re going to hold them accountable,” Tillis told constituents in a telephone town hall Wednesday.
At the same time, Tillis has walked a fine line, often voicing support for Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper while also backing the president.
“I think the governor has generally done a good job with this response,” he said in another town hall earlier this month. “I feel the same way about President Donald Trump, and most governors across the nation.”
Bitzer notes that, in light of the coronavirus, poll numbers are more favorable for Cooper right now as opposed to the president. He also argues Tillis' time in state government may be impacting his comments."
“I think Tillis’s experience in the state legislature, recognizing that state officers have a different responsibility ... than national, federal officers have, really kind of shows perhaps he gets what the governor is having to go through,” Bitzer also noted.
What does it all mean?
How will this all add up come November? Bitzer says there are many unknowns.
“What’s going to happen over the summer? What’s going to happen with the conventions? What happens with voting?” he asked. “We’re basically flying blind.”