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Rahm Emanuel says it'll be the year of 'Biden Republicans', here's why Internet wants to defund him

Rahm Emanuel is being lambasted after he said that Joe Biden has a chance to replicate an election strategy that helped elect Republican Ronald Reagan to the White House decades ago

While Americans wait for the 2020 presidential elections, looks like there is no dearth of contentious claims and advice online. The recent one comes from former Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel who told CNBC that "Democrats have an opportunity to flip disaffected Republican voters and retain them beyond the 2020 election".

In an interview published on August 21, the Democratic politician Emanuel said that presidential nominee Joe Biden has a chance to replicate an election strategy that helped elect Republican Ronald Reagan to the White House decades ago. Emanuel — who appeared in 'Closing Bell' anchored by Sara Einsen — said he believes that the former vice president can win over the disaffected Republicans with a proper platform. "This will be the year of the Biden Republican," said the politician, mentioning appearances of Republicans such as John Kasich, Colin Powell and Cindy McCain, who is the widow of Sen John McCain, among other GOP members at the Democratic National Convention.
 
He was pointing out that a phenomenon that helped Reagan win elections and serve from 1981 to 1989 can prove to be fruitful for Biden too. He compared the Republican voters disgruntled with Trump as "Reagan Democrats", mentioning that the White and traditional blue-collar voters who earlier crossed party lines to elect Reagan to two terms of presidency might do so this time as well.

As per the CNBC report, he further added, "Democrats must not only attract Republican voters who want to put Trump out of the office at the end of his first term, but also retain those who are under the party’s big tent." Emanuel reiterated the point in a Wall Street Journal opinion piece too on August 22 saying that suburban voters in regions such as Arizona, North Carolina and Pennsylvania, battleground states that Trump won in 2016, can be flipped too. He summed up the CNBC interview saying, "My view is you don’t want this to be a transactional election. You want this to be the opportunity of a transformational election."

His past controversies

Emanuel has courted controversies in the past over his move on public health in 2012. As reported in The Intercept, the biggest controversy is his closing of Chicago's mental health clinics, most of them being in South Side, when he was Chicago's mayor. He recommended reducing the number of city health clinics from 12 to six. The move later sparked protests from 'Mental Health Movement' which disrupted Emmanuel's public appearances.

After he gave his present interview, a tweet went viral that reads: "Rahm Emanuel: 'Two things I would say if I was advising a Biden administration, one is no Green New Deal and two is no Medicare for All.'" This tweet garnered over 3,000 retweets and 2,600 likes. After this Twitter went on a rampage, asking Emanuel not to give any more advice on political strategies. In fact, several Twitter users lambasted Emanuel saying he is one of the most "corrupt ghouls in politics" and that one must not pay attention to his words.

Author and Professor Robert Reich tweeted flogging Emanuel, "Two things I would say if I was advising a Biden administration, one is pay no attention to Rahm Emanuel and two is pay no attention to Rahm Emanuel." 

Calling Emanuel a "corrupt" leader, one user lashed out at Democrats and the corporations they support. "Rahm Emanuel is one of the most corrupt ghouls in politics. He's the final form of Third Way Dems. This is what happened to the Dems, they sold their soul to corporate America, offer us nothing, yet still demand our votes. They can go f**k themselves."

Others criticize Emanuel saying he does not abide by what he says and has low approval ratings. "Two things I would say: One is Rahm Emanuel had a 27% approval rating as Mayor of Chicago and two is whatever Rahm Emanuel says do the exact opposite."

Some just wanted to defund him altogether. "Defund and abolish Rahm Emanuel," wrote one.

Some simply want to throw a shut up challenge for him. “Rahm Emanuel shut the hell up forever challenge."

Enraged users said that Emanuel has no say in the party and has lost influence. "No need to direct any rage at Rahm. His career has reached its zenith & he has no position or influence on the Biden campaign."

Some even critiqued Emanuel on his Covid-19 response. "Me watching a high school English teacher quote Rahm Emanuel in the comments of a Facebook post saying that Americans are overestimating COVID-19 cases."