Jennifer Rubin of WaPo has praise for Rep Cheney (R-WY), vice chair of the committee investigating the January 6th attack hearings, and a plaintive question:
All praise is due to Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.), who has already earned her place in history. But amid the admiration and praise for her, the question remains: Why is the rest of her party so cowardly? [WaPo]
Long time readers know my answer: The majority of the current crop of Republican elected officials hold their posts for two reasons:
- Toxic team politics, which specifies thou shalt vote for the Republican candidate, and that candidate will adhere to the specified tenets on abortion, gun control, etc. Republicans fall in line, remember? This obviates the tangible advantages of experience, expertise, and competency, just shout out the Party slogans. And then find a way to differentiate yourself from all the rest. Experience doesn’t count, remember, so go for being more extreme.
- Trump, Trump, Trump, who brought #1 to life, drew in replacements for those Republicans who left in disgust, animated Independents, and justified an evangelical base to vote for him and his endorsees by being … evil. They point at Cyrus, the great Get Out Of Jail Free card, the card that let’s them love evil. Period.
Repudiate Trump? Most of them are in office because of Trump, even if they predate him.
But this isn’t about personal betrayal of Trump. It’s about repudiating the system that brought them power, and keeps them in power. They may not realize it, but many will be in power until someone even more extreme RINOs them out of power. No, that’s too far in the future. Right now, their taste of power, prestige, and wealth is their heroin, and hell if they’ll stop sucking on it. And if that means hugging Trump’s knees, many of them will do it.
But it’s not Trump, he’s just the guy who figured out how to use the reins; the reins are the existentially awful way of winning elections, by not permitting dissension. Single issue voters and extremist positions have completely done away with the importance of experience, competency, and character in a candidate, because if Trump, or a local reader, points and says she or he is a great person, then they get the vote.
We’re seeing some stirrings of revolt against Trump, but it’s the system that needs to be reformed.
