The Republican Party's first-ever midterm convention, scheduled for Wednesday and Thursday in Dallas, Texas, is facing scrutiny over its timing, which coincides with the opening days of the National Football League season. CNN chief data analyst Harry Enten pointed out the scheduling conflict, noting that the first two nights of the convention overlap with the first two NFL games of the season.
"You can just see it by the fact that they’re doing it when the football season is starting. Who does that?" Enten stated Wednesday. He further elaborated that the timing might not reach the segment of the party that requires motivation to vote.
Citing a recent CNN-SSRS poll, Enten highlighted that 60% of Democrats reported being "extremely motivated" to vote in the upcoming midterms. In contrast, only 59% of MAGA Republicans and a significantly lower 41% of non-MAGA Republicans expressed similar motivation. "The ones who are not motivated to vote are the non-MAGA Republicans," Enten explained. "The people who are far less likely to approve of Donald Trump, the people who think that Donald Trump’s Republican Party probably should be the end of it."
Enten suggested that the convention might not connect with these less motivated voters, who are more likely to be watching football. This scheduling decision comes as many Republican midterm candidates have opted not to attend the convention, with Trump facing challenges including approval ratings and a nationwide affordability crisis.
Wednesday's NFL game features a rematch between the defending Super Bowl champions, the Seattle Seahawks, and the New England Patriots. Thursday's matchup is between the Los Angeles Rams and the San Francisco 49ers.
Enten also referenced a CNBC poll indicating that 52% of respondents are less likely to vote for a candidate endorsed by Trump, while only 29% are more likely to do so. This contrasts with responses regarding democratic socialists, where 50% were less likely to vote for one, but 32% were more inclined to support such a candidate. "So no, it’s not a good argument. This whole idea is ill-conceived," Enten remarked. "If you’re coming at it from, ‘Oh, you know, Trump is so good and those dem socialists are so bad,’ the American people are just like, ‘Actually, not quite right.’"