As Republicans abandon Whatley, Cooper needs to run even harder

The Senate race will still drive the electorate and the larger Cooper’s margin, the better down-ballot Democrats will do.

National Republicans have abandoned Michael Whatley. The Senate Leadership Fund, the chief super PAC of Senate Republicans, is halting its ads in North Carolina after already spending $30 million here and shifting the money to—wait for it—Kansas, a state that hasn’t elected a Democrat to the Senate since 1932. Another Super PAC pulled $6.5 million last weeks and another Trump-aligned group has nothing reserved past this week. The wheels are coming off the machine for the GOP.

But now is not the time to relax. Now is the time for North Carolina Democrats to kick their campaigns into high gear. Cooper needs to run like a scalded dog toward November 3. He needs to wail on Whatley along the way, demoralizing his supporters and building momentum as he goes.

The U.S. Senate race will still drive the turnout. People want to be with winners, and Cooper needs to encourage everybody to get on board. The larger his margin, the more down-ballot Democrats he will drag across the line. If his margin is greater than about five points, the makeup of the electorate is going to be beneficial across the board. There’s nothing above Cooper on the ballot to mitigate the impact of his victory.

The game now is juicing Democratic turnout and depressing GOP voters. Whatley won’t have the resources to respond to what should be devastating attacks. Democrats need to make sure Cooper has the resources so he doesn’t have to pull punches. The harder he beats Whatley down, the fewer Republicans will turn out. It’s like leaving the stadium with five minutes left because your team is losing so badly.

And nobody deserves a good beating more than Republicans like Whatley. They embraced and encouraged Trump, knowing he had tried to undermine our democracy and overturn an election. All of them, including people like Thom Tillis, have either participated in or covered up massive corruption by the Trump family and their cronies. They need to pay a steep price. It’s time to return to accountability.

North Carolina Democrats, for their part, need to open up their pocketbooks and keep the money in state. Give to Cooper. Give to the North Carolina Democratic Party. Give to local candidates. Dig deep.

As Republicans shift money to other states, national Democratic money will leave North Carolina too, as the party tries to expand its Senate map. We need to expand it right here in North Carolina, picking up legislative and congressional seats and winning the important judicial races.

Even if Republicans are surrendering the state, the Senate race will still dominate the midterm elections. As Whatley sees his chances fade, Cooper needs to keep the heat on and run like he’s behind. Every Democrat needs to get in the game and run up the score. Press the advantage. Opportunities like this one don’t come around often.