The Republican political problem is Republican, not Saccone

I mentioned this last night, but in the clear light of day, it’s striking how the GOP spin to explain why Conor Lamb was able to eke out a victory in a district that Trump won by 20 points all come down to the current fundamental weakness of the GOP political brand. In Playbook, the summation of the official Republican talking points basically cedes away what anyone would have listed as the top Republican assets: Trump, money, messaging. All were deployed, in full force, on behalf of Rick Saccone, to little effect.