Jeff Flake Is Wrong

Outgoing Senator Jeff Flake gets the occasional attaboy from the political media for making meaningless tweets and speeches against Donald Trump.  Meanwhile, he and McCain could completely change the dynamic in Washington by withholding their votes (Collins could, too) in return for better policy, more accountability...you name it. 

Recently, with the news of ICE agents ripping children from their families and building tent city concentration camps, Flake asked in dismay, "Is this the GOP?  Is this who we are?"

Well..yeah, dumbass.  Clearly.

Last night proved something once and for all.  Donald Trump IS the GOP.  Look no further than Virginia, where neo-Confederate Corey Stewart won the Senate primary or South Carolina, where Mark Sanford (a very mild Trump critic) lost to a Trumpist candidate. 

The lesson here is twofold.  First, you can forget about "principled" Republicans doing anything about Trump.  They clearly have to fear their Republican electorate more than the mushy center.  Any effort to call him out will result in a primary loss.  It happened to Sanford; Corker and Flake are retiring rather than lose their primaries.

Second, the greatest threat that Trump may ultimately pose to American democracy is the creation of Steve Bannon's ethnonationalist/white supremacist political party.  The Republican Party is on its way to becoming a "blood and soil" party - a sort of soft facism.  Corrupt, sure, but ultimately one that embraces a racial definition of Americanism.

The obvious solution was put forward by David Roberts at Vox.  If you truly believe what Jeff Flake says that he believes, then you can't vote for Republicans in the general election.  No boutique third party candidacies.  No protest by staying at home.  Both of those might work, but to be 100% sure that the GOP does not turn into solely a white supremacist party, they have to lose - and lose mightily - in general elections.  Perhaps a solid third party would have the same effect.  If you deprived the GOP of 10% of their voters, they would struggle to get over 40% of the vote anywhere. 

But the real check on Trump and Trumpist politics is to vote out as many Republicans as possible.  Show them what happens when you turn your back on essential American political norms and values.  That only happens when the GOP gets slaughtered in the next two general elections.