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Nothing They Do Is Serious
Jim Geraghty writes about the viability of a third party consisting of has-been Republicans (my words) most of which I agree with. There’s not much hope – or threat. However, this paragraph struck me as interesting:
That said, there has to be a chunk of the American electorate who is either opposed to the Democrats and the Biden agenda, or that is rapidly souring on Biden’s approach to the issues, that likes the traditional Republican stances of pushing for lower taxes and less regulation, support for the Second Amendment, strict constructionist or originalist judges, border fencing and immigration law enforcement, Israel, and law enforcement in the absence of evidence of wrongdoing, and opposition to abortion, woke cancel culture…
I can’t help but laugh at this description of the rationale for this third party, even though it was serious (I think).
Notice how Geraghty – an excellent writer to be sure – phrases his description of the chunk of the electorate who like the traditional Republican in terms of “stances of pushing for…”
Yes, there are people who like those stances and the “pushing” but seem little concerned with results and accomplishments. Those people would welcome the return of the Tom Ridges, Christine Todd Whitmans, and Bill Welds. Will we get it with these people? Their collective record, along with the other politicians these people have supported, answers a resounding, “No!”
It’s pure fantasy. It’s not even an update on what was being “fought for” in the 1990s when these people were in office! It’s like going through the Disney ride It’s a Small World After All in a little boat and thinking you just toured the globe and learned all about foreign cultures.
But even on the retail level, the specifics – if you can call them that – are worn-out Republican platitudes.
lower taxes and less regulation
Who among these hundred founding members accomplished these goals to any significant extent?
support for the Second Amendment
Many of these 100 people are extremely squishy on this issue, only slightly better than Democrats, and possibly more damaging because of their perceived sympathies. Democrats always smuggle in their toxins in new legislation introduced by this type of Republican.
strict constructionist or originalist judges
Gotta laugh out loud at that one! Look at how our judges vote, including the Trump-appointed judges, in all fairness. Sadly, Alito and Thomas are the only draft-picks who can play on the field.
border fencing and immigration law enforcement
Notice how this is phrased. Fencing (the word wall too Trumpian for their taste? “Build the damn fence!” – John McCain) and immigration law enforcement – no mention of needed reform or new laws.
Israel
What does this mean exactly? He names a country. Does it mean, for versus against? Not especially enlightening, but I guess it serves the Republican platform of posturing.
opposition to abortion
This has become quite meaningless in politics. More realistic phrasing would be, reduce the increases in Planned Parenthood’s federal subsidies by 10 percent. Again, not especially cogent.
woke cancel culture
The current record of all Republicans on that issue is abysmal, but the anti-trumpers are considerably worse. These people couldn’t be more cowardly when it comes to standing up to the left.
Pure fantasy. But it sells. See you at Disney and don’t forget to mask up!
Published in General
Evening Franco,
No wonder you make so much sense to me.
I really enjoyed your quick commentary and point-by-point dissection of the specific platitudes. Thanks.
And become a permanent minority party.
The NT types are potentially replaceable from other pools. Such as, those who voted for Obama in two elections and then voted for Trump. Keep in mind that the Trump vote increased a good deal from 2016 to 2020, and the evidence isn’t conclusive that Biden’s number of votes larger than ever in history, was legitimate.
I feel like we are the permanent minority party. Even when we ‘won’ we were the minority party because our leaders did little or nothing. Until Trump. That’s what winning looks like and that’s why they freaked out.
90% of the criticism – even the personal criticism – was made up out of whole cloth by the corporate media that’s a sock puppet of the USA’s intel agencies.
The GOPe is a Potemkin Village of politicians and pundits designed specifically to pose and posture (say that out loud, and wear a mask so you don’t spray all your bat-germs on the library computer – JK Thelonious…)
Good point. I like to point out The March of Dimes. They were originally formed to fight polio. Once polio was conquered, they changed their focus to birth defects and infant mortality. They declared victory and moved on. Organizations like the NAACP & BLM, and hustlers like Sharpton and Jackson need racial conflict to stay in business. This is why every “unarmed black man killed by police” story makes it to the front page. This is why some black college students paint racial slurs and claim the college is racist. Racism is going out of business in this country, and the NAACP et al. refuse to have the “Going Out of Business Sale”.
Besides, BLM co-founder Kahn-Cullors might need to buy another million-dollar house . . .
Well said.
I don’t know where to start. I left Ricochet some time ago because every article’s comment section was filled with the same old “you Never Trumpers, GOPe, squish blah, blah, blah…”. But I came back because I wanted to support the effort and I very much appreciate many of the podcast public faces of Ricochet.
Well it hasn’t changed. I guess I can assume that that is the nature of any comment section but if so it belies the tag line “Ricochet: Join the conversation”.
On a related note I have to admire the Democratic Party discipline. Their far left wing has managed to dominate the party and stifle any consistent dissent. And so even though they are clearly out of step with everyday Americans, the consistency of their messaging, the discipline of the messengers and not least important, with the ongoing support of mainstream media and Hollywood they’re able to get their message out and even win a few congressional votes.
Anyway, if you’d read Geraghty’s recent writings you’d see he isn’t supporting Liz Chaney’s crusade and is NOT a Never-Trumper. But I guess from the few of many of commenters here if you’re not 100%. Trump you’re “one of those people”.
The country and world is burning, Biden is destroying much of what we stand for and this “chunk” of idiots want to still fight the biggest chunk of their voters over the Tea Party! Which is why they got President Trump.
https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2013/11/22/Exclusive-McConnell-Tea-Party-a-bunch-of-bullies-who-me-and-Karl-Rove-are-going-to-punch-in-the-nose/
Remember Mississippi!
https://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/mcdaniel-mcconnell-sold-soul
By the way, where is Mitch’s boy Thad these days? The entrenched gOp establishment could care less about the future of the party as long as they keep getting ‘theirs’ now. And that list of beliefs that Geraghty specifies are not fought for by this chunk at all, ever. Every bit of their campaign rhetoric is merely play acting. Guess why there is a Tea Party?
These are not conservatives. And they only like to fight their voters, never the Socialist democrats.
Agree with Chris to some extent. Isn’t conservatism as we understand it from Bill Buckley days pretty basic? Less government because it screws things up. Less taxes so more money in people’s hands to spend. Protect the country with robust military. Otherwise, leave people alone. Anything I missed?
I’d give you a super long winded vicious retort to this but there’s a homeless guy giving me the stink eye who want’s to use this computer. You got off easy this time pal.
How to get there?