#26 Musings Beyond the Bunker (Thursday May 13)
Good morning,
MITT ROMNEY—ENEMY OF THE REPUBLICANS
Hard to believe, but the Republican nominee for president in 2016 was booed and harassed at the Utah party conference two weeks ago. Several observations about this:
How far has the party come that a local favorite son, former presidential standard bearer, and someone not exactly known to be a crazy left liberal is no longer palatable to the Republican establishment. This sort of treatment of a former party leader was unimaginable prior to the Trump Era.
How crazy it is that the party elites are unwilling to even listen to a slightly different point of view. Will hearing that a lie actually is a lie so offend their ears?
How insane that someone who rightly claims that the last election was legitimate is treated so poorly. After all, even with all the lawsuits going against Trump, the ridiculous failed allegations about voting machines and the general consensus of the fairness of the election (and without proof of widespread fraud), they still feel that Trump won. Feelings do not equal fact.
How childish, disrespectful and rude. Not only are they a bunch of adults who can’t bear to hear another point of view; they are rude, disruptive and disrespectful. These are the same people who lament that college students won’t allow certain people to speak. Besides being inconsistent it is a manner of behavior I don’t think their mothers would be proud of (and they are theoretically more mature than the college students of which they complain).
LIZ CHENEY
The new litmus test for Republican party leadership apparently is that one must accept a patent lie as factual (or at least pretend to do so). Does the party understand that this fealty to falsehood can only lead to darker places? Do they not feel that, as leaders, they have a responsibility to speak truth to their supporters? Do they not feel that they have a responsibility to preserve, protect and defend the Constitution—which means supporting the rule of law and the sanctity of elections?
When we completely delegitimize the other side in the political process, we are giving a free pass to those who want to undermine the system or attempt to wrest power from those rightfully elected. If we cannot contemplate defeat at the ballot box, and if the other side is vilified, how can any progress be achieved?
Things will not get better until the Republican leadership bases its future not on grievance and the “big lie” of a stolen election and instead bases its electoral success in the future on ideas and legitimate policy proposals to address the real issues of the day.
Troubling times…
Best, Glenn