Steve Deace Show | Time for the GOP to WAKE UP: 2026 May Be Close to Lost (3/11/26)

Podcast Host: Steve Deace
Network: Blaze Podcast Network
Date: March 11, 2026

Episode Overview

This episode offers a hard-hitting exploration of the challenges currently facing the Republican Party (GOP) in the run-up to the 2026 midterms, highlighting the inaction on key legislation (notably the Save America Act), shifting political coalitions, threats to the party base, and the dire state of the American economy in the wake of international instability. With Deace's trademark principled conservatism and sharp wit, the discussion goes beyond surface-level politics to diagnose the root causes of GOP malaise, warn of an impending electoral disaster if urgent course corrections aren’t made, and call for renewed seriousness in both the party and its voters.

Table of Contents

1. Setting the Stage: A Family Meeting on Principles and Division (00:50–09:43)
2. “What Happened While We Were Away” – News Rundown (09:48–14:24)
3. Main Topic: GOP at the Brink – Why 2026 May Be a Lost Year (15:53–41:45)
   • The Vitality of the Save America Act & Base Demoralization
   • The Rising Threat of Anti-Semitism on the Right
   • The GOP's History of Losing Its Base
4. Economic Deep Dive with Ryan Bailey (33:16–47:39)
5. Buy, Sell, or Hold: Listener Submissions & Speculation (53:00–79:17)
6. The Breakdown with Daniel Horowitz: Why Suburbs Are Fleeing the GOP (79:17–94:30)
7. Final Takeaways and Reflections (94:34–End)

<a name="section1"></a>

1. Setting the Stage: A Family Meeting on Principles and Division

(00:50–09:43)

• Steve Deace opens with a “family meeting”—addressing ongoing right-wing debates on social media, particularly around anti-Semitism, racism, and the definition of “woke.”
• Emphasizes that his show's guiding light is a biblical worldview: "If you are promoting blatant racism, blatant false witnessing, blatant anti-Semitism, then I don’t care how many other issues we agree on, we are not aligned." (06:03)
• Deace welcomes disagreement but draws a hard line against crossing biblical moral boundaries, even when it comes from those ostensibly on the same team.
• Highlights the variety of backgrounds among his team and friends as proof of genuine commitment to diversity of thought—provided it’s rooted in truth and love for one's neighbor.

Notable Quote:
“We are not permitted to violate the character of God in order to advance the word of God, because the number one thing the word of God cares about is your character and mine.” – Steve Dace (07:51)

<a name="section2"></a>

2. “What Happened While We Were Away” – News Rundown

(09:48–14:24)

Aaron McIntyre provides a rapid-fire update on key events:

• Senate GOP Leadership: John Thune admits defeatist strategy on immigration, essentially “Operation Failure Theater.”
• Chuck Schumer: Candidly admits "tens of millions" of ineligible voters are on US voter rolls—fueling outrage over election integrity.
• Iran Conflict: CENTCOM reports over 5,500 US strikes on Iran-related targets, with global oil supply disruptions looming.
• Domestic Business Migration: Yamaha moves HQ to Georgia; Exxon Mobil’s HQ shift to Texas; Starbucks CEO flees Washington state for Florida. Stark out-migration from blue states to red states.
• Voter Integrity: Emphasis on the importance of the Save America Act as central to the coming midterms.

Notable Moment:
“Chuck Schumer literally saying there are tens of millions of ... people on the voter rolls that don’t belong there, that aren’t Americans. ... So here’s the thing, though. He’s roughly eight months away from being Senate Majority Leader ... if they don’t pass the Save America Act, there’s no realistic economic outcome on the table that will save us from getting obliterated in these midterms.” — Steve Dace (15:53)

<a name="section3"></a>

3. Main Topic: GOP at the Brink – Why 2026 May Be a Lost Year

The Vitality of the Save America Act & Base Demoralization

(15:53–30:11, 41:45–48:14)

• The Save America Act—meant to purge ineligible voters—has become the litmus test for GOP seriousness. Failure to pass it is seen as dooming the party in the midterms.
• Deace argues, using sports analogies, that some political mistakes are the equivalent of “turning the ball over three times in the first quarter”—possibly impossible to recover from.
• Loss of even 5% of the GOP base turnout could result in catastrophic electoral consequences, especially given already unfavorable national mood and voter identification numbers.

Notable Quotes:
“If they don’t pass this and put it on Trump’s desk for him to sign it, this will be a historically bad midterm. Not just your typical president in office. Historically bad.” — Steve Dace (17:44)

“Not doing this will euthanize our base.” — Steve Dace (24:05)

The Rising Threat of Anti-Semitism on the Right

(20:40–24:05, after 62:12, 76:02)

• Discussion of the growing prominence of anti-Semitic rhetoric among some right-wing online communities—especially prominent figures like Tucker Carlson.
• Steve clarifies that this is still mostly restricted to online “activists” and has not yet filtered into the GOP “normie” base: “If you went and asked the average normie Republican voter who Nick Fuentes is, they would not know.”
• Warns, however, that the online feuding is tenacious and divisive, drawing historical parallels to Ron Paul–era splinter debates.

The GOP's History of Losing Its Base

(27:00–30:11, and throughout the episode)

• The recurring theme is that GOP leadership (consultants, strategists) regularly advises moderation and dilution of positions to attract swing voters, but this strategy consistently results in losing the base.
• Critiques failed messaging on immigration and election integrity, alluding to previous missteps where the party “sold out” true believers only to fail to win over “normie” independents or Democrats.

Key Exchange:
Steve Dace: “How many times has your base will just vote for you no matter what, so sell them out and give the normies who already hate you, the messaging probably won’t make a difference. How many times has that one worked?”
Todd Erzin: “It hasn’t.” (28:10–28:11)

<a name="section4"></a>

4. Economic Deep Dive with Ryan Bailey, Young America Capital

(33:16–47:39)

Guest: Ryan Bailey, capital markets expert

• Stagflation Fears: Bailey explains that the economy is shifting from a short-lived “Goldilocks” period to a probable stagflation scenario—where growth slows but inflation remains high, especially with oil prices surging due to war with Iran.
• Impact of War: If the war is short-lived, oil prices and inflation might stabilize in a couple of months. But ongoing conflict could make economic conditions and supply shocks persistent through the election cycle.
• Housing Market Crunch: Although housing inflation is decelerating (from +7% in March 2024 to +1.8% in December 2025), the cumulative impact of past years’ price surges means homes remain unaffordable for many, with little relief on the horizon.

Notable Quotes:
“You have to remember, right, it’s hard because like anything, inflation for the consumer is cumulative.” — Ryan Bailey (43:16)

“Hurting people’s disposable income with inflation is going to hurt.” — Ryan Bailey (45:59)

Steve Dace: “When you drive up the cost of what transports the substance that transports every good and service, you’re going to drive up inflation, obviously.” (47:29)

<a name="section5"></a>

5. Buy, Sell, or Hold: Listener Speculation & GOP Scenarios

(53:00–79:17)

Steve, Todd, and Aaron field listener "Buy, Sell, or Hold" predictions, including:

• Whether the SAVE Act’s demise will spark serious third-party challenges (Steve: “You’d need billions—much easier to just take over the GOP with a billion dollars than to build a new party from scratch.” 55:47)
• Future Supreme Court changes (e.g., Ted Cruz as a Justice)—generally approved by the panel
• The practical futility of expecting large, organic right-wing grassroots challenges given the current state of the base

Memorable Exchange (on third parties):
Steve Dace: “I get wanting to want a third party, but I’d love to see what a second one looks like.” (66:51)

<a name="section6"></a>

6. Breakdown with Daniel Horowitz: The Suburbs, Policy, and What the GOP Is Missing

(79:17–94:30)

Guest: Daniel Horowitz

• Loss of Suburbs: Horowitz points out that despite temporary shifts in non-white and low-propensity turnout, the foundational GOP collapse is rooted in the loss of suburban voters. The party is “suffering all the liabilities and none of the benefits of incumbency.”
• Policy Vacuum: GOP is failing to offer meaningful economic policy solutions (particularly on health care and cost of living) that matter in people’s day-to-day lives.
• Meme Conservatism: The GOP’s descent into low-brow trolling without substantive legislative achievement is actively bleeding suburban support.
• Data Point: Even “Trump-won” areas are flipping without a concerted ground game or persuasive policy focus.
• Warning: The lack of organization, fundraising, or candidate quality compared to even the Tea Party era is cited as a generational lowering of the party’s capabilities. Incumbents dominate, and the base is dangerously passive.

Notable Quotes:
“We’re suffering all of the liabilities and none of the benefits of incumbency. We’re not really addressing things that are bothering [suburbanites].” — Daniel Horowitz (82:04)

“We need a new plan because what we’re doing now is not working.” — Daniel Horowitz (94:27)

<a name="section7"></a>

7. Final Takeaways and Reflections

(94:34–end)

• Todd Erzin closes with a sobering reflection: the left is “far better citizens than the people on the right”—they organize, vote, and act, while the right looks for shortcuts or resigns itself to defeat.
• Aaron McIntyre: “History books are written by those who show up.”
• Steve Dace notes that even competitive GOP primaries (like Matt Bevin’s against Mitch McConnell) often suffer smaller turnouts than Democratic contests; the problem is more profound than any one politician.

Notable Quote:
“The results are what they are … These are things that we could have been doing all along, but we just chose not to, for a generation.” – Steve Dace (95:53)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 00:50 — Steve opens with a “family meeting” on core principles
• 09:48 — “What Happened While We Were Away” news montage
• 15:53 — GOP midterm peril & the Save America Act
• 33:16 — Ryan Bailey interview: stagflation, oil, housing, economic risks
• 41:45 — Recap and implications for the midterms
• 53:00 — Buy, Sell, or Hold: Listener speculation
• 79:17 — Daniel Horowitz segment: Losing the suburbs, policy vacuum
• 94:34 — Concluding thoughts on civic participation and GOP malaise

Episode Summary: Key Themes

• GOP’s existential threat stems as much from internal apathy and policy vacuity as from external enemies.
• Anti-Semitism & division: Issue growing online, but the real threat is losing focus on unifying issues that actually mobilize the base.
• Economy: War, inflation, and a stalled housing market spell trouble, with little sign the GOP is ready to offer solutions attractive to the median voter.
• Suburbs as battlefield: The exodus of moderate/suburban voters is critical, and can’t be counterbalanced by marginal increases with “non-traditional” GOP voters.
• Action > Rhetoric: Without passing meaningful election integrity legislation (the Save America Act) and showing tangible change, the GOP risks not just a bad year—but perhaps a generational realignment.

If you missed the episode, this summary delivers Steve Dace’s urgent, honest critique: The GOP, its base, and its leadership are all at a crossroads—2026 could be the year the party truly loses its way, unless it wakes up soon.