Dem upends the 'groveling' GOP's 'gotcha' playbook with 'perfect retort'

Key Points:

• Conservative New York Times columnist Frank Bruni argues that Republicans' typical "gotcha" tactics against Democrats in the midterms require a strong counter, especially given the GOP's ongoing "groveling" to former President Donald Trump.
• Bruni highlights the Michigan Senate race, where Democrat Abdul El-Sayed has faced attacks for his progressive stances but has focused on economic issues rather than engaging with "gotcha" questions.
• Bruni contrasts El-Sayed's consistency with Republican nominee Mike Rogers, who initially condemned Trump's efforts to overturn the 2020 election but later sought and embraced Trump's endorsement, praising Trump's baseless claims of election irregularities.
• The columnist calls for Democrats to more aggressively challenge Republicans' shifting positions, noting that GOP lawmakers have largely rewritten or minimized their earlier condemnation of Trump's role in the January 6 Capitol attack.
• Bruni contends that while all politicians deserve scrutiny for inconsistency, Republicans bear greater responsibility for undermining democratic norms compared to Democrats' internal policy debates.