The GOP's midterm playbook: Bash tech

Republican leaders and lawmakers are setting their sights on a new target as they head into a difficult midterm election: an increasingly-powerful tech industry they view as biased against conservatives. Republicans, including House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA), RNC Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel and Trump 2020 Campaign Manager Brad Parscale are making more noise about a host of Silicon Valley slights against conservatives, an issue that seems to be succeeding at firing up the GOP base. “Our supporters out there, by and large, believe that that’s true that a lot of these tech companies have an agenda,” said Senate Commerce Committee Chairman John Thune (R-SD). “I think it’s a real issue, but I also think it probably has some political value.”

The grievances have sent tech executives scrambling to defend themselves and prove they don’t harbor anti-conservative prejudice. If recent polling is any indication, tech-bashing may very well resonate with GOP voters, which Republican leaders hope will help them stave off the predicted “blue wave” of Democratic electoral victories. A majority of Republicans hold negative views of Silicon Valley. Eighty-five percent say they think social media sites are likely to censor their views, 64 percent say tech companies are likely to favor the views of liberals over their own, and 44 percent support increased regulation of the industry.