For Republicans, for Democrats, for the republic In yesterday’s Starting The Steal, we discussed the Republican legal challenge to losing the North Carolina state Supreme Court race in November. But today consider the national implications. Even a Republican gets it (sort of). Andrew Dunn of Longleaf Politics believes it a bad idea for Court of Appeals Judge Jefferson Griffin to fight his loss all the way to the GOP-controlled state Supreme Court he’s desperate to join. Republicans want to throw out 60,000 votes “on technicalities in voter registration.” Read more about that here and here. “I’m not sure who’s leading the push here — but it needs to end now,” writes Dunn: If the Supreme Court sides with Griffin, the fallout will be immediate and brutal. This isn’t just bad optics; it’s potentially a credibility-shattering disaster for the court, the party, and conservatism in North Carolina. Overnight, this becomes a national story about Republicans “stealing” a Supreme Court seat. The allegation would be impossible to defend against. And it wouldn’t end there. A ruling for Griffin would hand Democrats the perfect weapon: a story that’s simple, emotional, and devastating. It’s not hard to imagine Republicans losing judicial races — and even key legislative seats in 2026 — because of the stink this case would leave behind. If Griffin loses the appeal, the damage is only slightly contained. The party will have spent months locked in a fight that divides its base and gives Democrats fresh ammunition for future campaigns. This…