That they have to is obvious. But do they have the brains to figure out how to do it, or the guts to try? I’m not sure.
To me, it’s very simple. They need to learn to fight. If they don’t fight, there will continue to be a large portion of the country that will stick with Trump.
Republicans won’t put up with another Bush or McCain or Romney. They want somebody who will punch back against the left, and try to get things done.
Unless and until the GOP learns to fight, and promotes a candidate to lead them in that fight, Trump will remain the default leader.
Under the present circumstances the first thing that they need to learn to fight against is plainly Trump himself and Trumpism. After they definitely crush the head of that snake, they can proceed to fight Democrats in the normal sense of politics (or the sense that should be normal) which absolutely excludes violence and the spirit of unbridled belligerence and deceit. I believe that Liz Cheney could do that. She is not in any way, shape, or form compromising her Republican stance by taking a firm stance against the pathology that has become deeply ingrained in her party. If there is any hope for the Republican party, she should be their model.
I think that’s exactly wrong. If they start by fighting Trump, they will lose a significant portion of their base, who will think “this is what you always do. You don’t attack the real enemies. You’re attacking the only guy who’s standing up for us! You useless Rinos!”
That is the surest way to give the GOP minority status for the next 10 years.
They have to win their spurs in battles against the left before they can even think about attacking Trump.
If they continue to defend Trump with lies as they are doing now (and that’s the only weapon they really have, e.g. “kissing and hugging” or “BLM did it”), they will surely lose. To be sure, they will have a highly energized base, but that simply won’t be enough to win elections. Trump and his likes might give that raging subculture orgasms, but in the long run it will merely be a disgruntled counterculture in America, a glowing hotbed of rage and violence and nothing else, in numerous cases worthy only of attention from criminal investigators. That may well be how it goes for a while, for quite a while. Look to Liz Cheney and the likes. After they crush the head of that snake, they will fight Democrats in a way that suits a civil and open society.
QUOTE: That they have to is obvious. But do they have the brains to figure out how to do it, or the guts to try?
It seems courage more than brains is a major barrier. The base is still very wedded to Trump. Therefore, GOP members are likely afraid they may lose their position if they try to move on from him. Exhibit A, Kevin McCarthy. After initially showing a modicum of courage to candidly speak out against Trump, he quicklyreversed course. He’s even cannibalizing other GOP members like Chaney and Kinzinger to show fealty to Trump. Exhibit B, Linsey Graham. Immediately after the Capitol Building attack he said…”enough is enough” with Trump. Yet, just a few weeks later he seemed to have a very different tone. I’ll let him speak for himself. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kLFvXLMwclQ
QUOTE: Unless and until the GOP learns to fight, and promotes a candidate to lead them in that fight, Trump will remain the default leader.
You’re likely correct. Yet, why has “fighting” the opponent become a key objective and/or leadership quality for candidates? Indeed, it’s a “part”, but it seems there are many more important priorities to focus on. I suspect that type of focus just adds fuel to our hyper-partisan tribal politics. As well, to perpetual gridlock and the government accomplishing very little for the benefit of the American people. It would be interesting if historians did a study on times when government was most effective in the US and determine if there are consistent factors that contributed to that success.
Fighting has become the main objective because the left has gone so far into crazy town. I’m sure they think the same of the right, but the point is, the left fights. The right doesn’t. And the base is completely fed up with it.
As an objective observer I cannot help but noticing that they both fight. Republicans, as far as I have seen, have never been sweet little lambs that are picked on by Democratic bullies, though they certainly bask in that delusion. The problem now, however, is that Republicans have taken this down to a level where they actually defend violent behavior.
Democrats don’t defend violent behavior? Did you watch the news during 2020?
Yes, I did. I did see them defending the protests, but not the exceptional outbreaks of violence.
How is this different from Trump and Jan 6? If you look at Trump’s actual words, he did not encourage violence or lawlessness. And if you look at (most) Democrats’ actual words, they did not encourage violence. (Some did, but they’re fringe, bit players.)
If you look at the whole context of Jan 6, Trump and certain others (e.g. Giuliani and Gossar) did encourage violence and lawlessness. Aside from that, however, they continue to defend their terrorist mob by saying that they were hugging and kissing with the police and BS of this nature. There is simply no rational comparison that one can make with Dems. Let’s keep this thing real.
Ha ha. “Here, I will put ridiculous spin on this. ‘Let’s keep it real.'”
Most definitely Trump said that the terrorists were hugging and kissing the police on Jan. 6. And that is most definitely not reality. I challenge you to cite any comparable statement from a Dem of high status (not Joe Blow on Facebook) regarding acts of violence. That what “keeping it real” means here.
Kamala Harris and other top Democrats supported an initiative to bail out people who were arrested in the “mostly peaceful” protests. This demoralized the police.
At the same time, they (too many to name) supported “defund the police” inititives. While cities were burning.
Democrats excused “Chaz” in Seattle.
If bail is set, the crime could not have been all that serious. Moreover, bailing someone out is not only a perfectly legal procedure, but in no way comparable to the former president actually saying, repeatedly and publicly, that officers being severely beaten within inches of their lives were experiencing hugs and kisses from their attackers. Nor is it comparable to Representative Andrew Clyde saying that the attack on the Capitol was just a normal tourist visit. “Defund the police” is a good example of why Democrats make up the stupid party, but I still can’t trace it to anyone of high status. Trump was trying to pin it on Biden, but that is pure BS. Again, which Dem excused “chaz”? Was it Biden? Schumer? Pelosi? Or was it Joe Blow on Facebook? Dems are far from perfect and certainly often stupid, but the comparisons between their reactions to violence just doesn’t reach the level of insanity that we get from Trump, Clyde, Gossar, Jordan, et al.
So, the right believes the best thing for the US is to fight to join the left in crazy town? Seems they’re doing an excellent job of taking up residence there. With warring tribes like these, Toby Keith’s new song is indeed prophetic. As Jesus said, “Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation, and every city or house divided against itself will not stand. “
QUOTE: Kamala Harris and other top Democrats supported an initiative to bail out people who were arrested in the “mostly peaceful” protests. This demoralized the police.
So, when a mob of Trump supporters threaten, attacked and beat police on Jan. 6, that was encouraging to them? When the administration delayed deploying the National Guard, while they were being overwhelmed by rioters, that was supportive of the police? When Trump, the law and order president, publicly said to the mob of rioters “we love you” and “you’re very special”, that was heartening to police? Conservative media’s mocking reaction to the testimonies of officers attacked by domestic terrorists on January 6 was uplifting to police? GOP members’ downplaying the events of that day were reassuring to police? Conservative congressional members that typically tout…“Blue Lives Matter” that voted against conducting an independent investigation of the events of January 6, was propitious for Capitol police? Didn’t seem that was the feedback from officers that testified during a recent Congressional hearing.