problem is not that republican politicians do this shady sh*t. problem is that their voter base just dont care besides that narrow specific thing they care about. IMO this is the big power of team-Red, its an OR of all favorable narratives.
Republican politics, in its current form, is a cult. It’s literally the only plausible explanation for Trump still being their front running presidential candidate.
They’re selling fear. It’s really effective as you can be afraid of what is happening without any substance.