In the realm of policymaking, I have virtually nothing in common with Congressperson Liz Cheney. She votes on the opposite side of almost any bill that I support. And her father was primarily responsible for the disastrous foreign policy decisions of the 2000s, including being the chief architect of manipulating us into a war with Iraq,
Ideally, I would love to see her defeated by a bold progressive daring to run in deep red Wyoming. I also like unicorns and trips to Mars.
There is one thing that Liz Cheney and I have in common. We both advocate for a democratic republic and oppose authoritarian fascism.
Last night, she lost her primary to a Trump sycophant by a depressingly large margin.
At one time, she was the third-ranking Republican in house leadership. She voted with Trump 93% of the time. An A rating from the NRA, anti-choice, against all but military spending - she was the poster child for hardline conservatism.
But that wasn't enough. She dared to recognize how corrupt and unlawful Trump is; she spoke out for the truth - opposing the big lie that the election was stolen.
For that truth, she lost her Congressional career. She put everything on the line because the truth was more important to her than being a subservient toadstool like most of the House and Senate Republicans.
She lost even though the latest news makes it pretty clear that Trump stole documents from the American people, including highly classified documents whose possession puts him in violation of the Espionage Act.
It's easy to blame Trump for this descent into madness. But he just coalesced forces that were already in play. There has long been an authoritarian streak in a significant chunk of the American people, particularly among the Christian right. Christofascism is not the only element in the Trump coalition but is clearly the driver.
The Republican party is no longer the party of thinking conservatives. It not only has abandoned being the party of Lincoln (truthfully, that ship sailed a LONG time ago), deserted the party of Eisenhower, it is also not recognizable as the party of Reagan.
It goes even beyond the Cult of Trump. Yes, they wear blinders when it comes to Trump, swallowing whatever is the current stream of lies spewing from his mouth. But Trump is just the frontman.
I honestly believe that Trump will eventually fade, whether jailed or not. But it will not be Liz Cheney, Mitt Romney, or any other reasonable Republican who will take his place. Instead, it will be another authoritarian fascist, likely Governor Ron DeSantis from Florida. And DeSantis will be more inclined to wear his Christofascism on his sleeve.
We know the Republican Party is in the grips of an anti-democratic madness. So the only question is - how well will it prevail in the November election against more mainstream opponents?
And with increasing voter restrictions in many states, including some where state legislatures may OVERRULE the popular vote, I don't know what the outcome will be.
We can only pray that democracy* prevails.
*Yes, I know we have a democratic republic and not a pure democracy. But it's a hell of a lot closer than our mad descent into authoritarian fascism.
I did shed a tear at the loss of Ms Cheney. Not because I agree with her on policy, as you say I seldom agree with hers. Except for one. But that one is the very foundation of our republic- that our leaders are chosen by election of the people they represent. Her loss is the loss of a determined warrior defending the rights of the people of Wyoming. She was a vital voice in Congress, a unicorn willing to stand up to the bullying voices in her party who clamor for power and are willing to Destruct our country to get it! She did so willingly & accepted her defeat with honor, because she knew her Country was more important than her political career. She has earned my dearest Respect. People who are willing to stand for these principles are sorely lacking in today’s politics, and that lack may well be the loss of our society as we know it. ELECTIONS MATTER!
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