Republicans are just following the mob that is following Trump

 

The Republican Party has been for decades the party without a clue and without ideas, beyond cutting taxes for the rich and building walls both literally and psychologically. It has survived solely on corporate money and expanding its “Southern Strategy”—the appeal to white grievance in reaction against civil rights—and expanding its tentacles across the country. Many if not most Republicans view Trumpism as the “logical” progression of this movement: anti-immigrant, demonizing anyone to the left of center-right (i.e. “moderate”), and encouraging irrational fear of any government initiative aiming to help (as opposed to hurting) people. Such people, as we have seen, have the potential to exchange democratic elections for a Third World dictatorship.

Lies, misinformation and out-right falsehoods all play a part in undermining democracy in this country. House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy—who has already sacrificed what’s left of his credibility in the real world by whitewashing his memory of the events of January 6 and Trump’s part in it—is promoting another big lie, except that this is one is really "big":

We represent Americans of all backgrounds and continue to grow our movement by the day. And unlike the left, we embrace free thought and debate. All members are elected to represent their constituents as they see fit, but our leadership team cannot afford to be distracted by the important work we were elected to do and the share goals we hope to achieve.

And this after Republicans who dared question Trump’s election lies have been censured and threatened? This is a party that permits “free thought”? Removing Liz Cheney from her leadership position is “embracing free thought and debate”? Note also that McCarthy uses the term “all backgrounds” rather than all races, creeds or religions, which somewhat reduces the size of the "tent." What exactly is the “work” that the party cannot be “distracted” by—what was it again?—“free thought and debate”? The usual Republican pastimes of obstruction and name-calling? How about that Maryland billboard with Biden and Kamala Harris superimposed on a pile of feces, with a caption calling them “shitheads”; local officials won’t remove it because it is a “free speech” issue, but I don’t think it is too tough figure out who the real “shitheads” are there.

As Sen. Lindsay Graham so “succinctly” put it, Republicans have chosen to sink or swim with Trump, whether he strengthens or destroys the party. The fact is that most Republicans simply do not know where their fealty to Trump is leading them. They are not even exactly following Trump personally, since deep down, many dislike him personally and find his lack of intellect frustrating. But he is followed by a largely ignorant mob that believes in conspiracy theories and is small-minded and bigoted. These people swarm around Trump like flies to a dung pile; Republicans don’t really follow Trump, at least not those who consider themselves “adults”—they follow the mob that is following Trump. And they will keep following the mob until they tire of him, or Trump reveals himself “unworthy” of their adulation, or he just gets too old to keep acting in this unreality show.

And when the “show” is over, where will Republican credibility as a party be then? Most of them will have already left their own burning in an ash heap.  In states like Texas, whose Non-Hispanic white population makes up only 41 percent of the population—a  number that will only keep going down—will diehard Trumpists be too “confused” about what’s next for them, or will they keep looking for another radical Trumpist, united solely on the immigration issue? With Republican moves to suppress minority voters with new anti-voting laws, and the large majority of the under-18s minority, it is only a matter of time when a new, more progressive voting block arises, alienated by the efforts of white Republicans to close their “tent” to them. When Texas does flip, the Republican refusal to disengage from Trumpism/fascism will have done its part.

Some Republicans, of course, realize the limits to success of Trumpism. Sen. Mitt Romney asserted rightly that attempts to remove Rep. Cheney from her leadership position simply because she continues to call out Trump for his continuing efforts to undermine democracy only “satisfies” the radicalized base, and more likely will lose Republicans votes from fence-sitters who see the party as much less tolerant to diverse opinions than they claim to be. Even McConnell seems to realize that merely being the “party of no” and obstructionist is tuning out a majority of voters. Biden has, according to one recent poll, a 63 percent job approval rating, which seems to suggest that his promotion of a job-creating infrastructure plan, and immigration and voting rights reform creates the image of a man-with-a-plan.

And just having a “plan” is a positive development in a time of uncertainty after four year of chaos, which reached its culmination with the January 6 insurrection.  Revelations that Capitol police deliberately ignored indications of an imminent attack by a large group of Proud Boys, instead concentrating their attention on a few small groups of “counter-protesters,” shows how far awry the country’s moral compass had become. Former acting Secretary of Defense Christopher Miller—who for a month during the transition period refused to cooperate with the Biden team—defended his failure to insure that there was even the unarmed National Guard presence that had been requested, and ”praised” his own actions even though by the time the National Guard was deployed, the insurrection was largely over. Who wanted more of this?

McConnell and some of his Senate colleagues are now suggesting they may be willing to “compromise” with Democrats on an infrastructure proposal, because after positive reviews from the public on the Biden COVID relief package that passed with no Republican votes, only a party beholden to an ignorant buffoon like Trump would choose to be the one that voters will ask come the midterms “And what have you done for me anyways?” and the answer will be “not much.”