Lt. Governor Geoff Duncan (R-GA) has stepped up and decided to cling to honesty rather than President Trump’s knees:
Lt. Governor Geoff Duncan (R-GA)
Georgia’s Republican lieutenant governor on Tuesday joined a growing list of GOP officials in the state who are publicly rejecting President Donald Trump’s baseless claims of voter fraud, saying the misinformation spread by the President and his allies is “alarming” and could jeopardize the party in upcoming Senate runoff elections.
Asked by CNN’s Alisyn Camerota on “New Day” about a falsehood spread by Trump that election officials in Georgia were “making deals,” Lt. Gov. Geoff Duncan flatly replied, “certainly not.”
“What is alarming is the amount of misinformation that continues to flow. It’s alarming to me,” Duncan continued. “It’s certainly disheartening to watch folks willing to kind of put their character and their morals out there just so they can spread a half truth or a lie in the efforts to maybe to flip an election. … That’s not what democracy is all about.” [CNN/Politics]
Good for him, although I put him in the same category as election officials: just doing his job, it doesn’t warrant a parade.
The question is whether he has the stature to remind Trump cultists that honesty and honor are more important than winning-at-all-costs, as Trump advocates. That said, I fear Duncan has sunk his own career:
“I think short term we run the risk of alienating voters for our Senate race that is coming upon us for Sen. Loeffler and Sen. Perdue. And we need them,” he said. “And long term, I think we hurt the brand of our Republican Party, which is certainly bigger than one person long term … As Americans we need to see leaders that inspire us and not talk down.”
In Trump’s mind, and those of his cultists, it’s all about the Trump brand and himself; the implication that the Party is more important than Trump is anathema. He’s a pathological narcissist, after all.
The coming Senate runoffs in January will provide a convenient measuring stick. If the cultists are substantially enraged by Duncan’s remarks, they may well stay home. If they remain loyal to the Republican Party, then the incumbent Republican Senators will win, although it’ll be close.
I expect the Republicans will win. It’s possible that Perdue will win and Loeffler will lose, as it appears Loeffler hasn’t built up a reserve of good will among the independents, but I would be surprised.
