Blog Credo

The whole aim of practical politics is to keep the populace alarmed (and hence clamorous to be led to safety) by menacing it with an endless series of hobgoblins, all of them imaginary.

H.L. Mencken

Friday, February 5, 2021

An Unfortunate Necessity

 The decision by House Democrats and a handful of non-crazy Republicans to strip Marjorie Traitor Greene was simultaneously necessary and troubling. It was necessary because House Republicans mustered more votes for censuring Liz Cheney over her impeachment vote than they could to strip Greene of her assignments. As the Post notes, this sets a dangerous precedent for whenever the Republican Party regains control of the House. Ilhan Omar will likely be stripped of her seat, just because. (At least in part, the impeachment of Bill Clinton was payback for Nixon. Republicans are nothing if not vindictive in their politics.)

I am legitimately torn over the fact that the Republican Party is well on its way to becoming the party of QAnon and 8Chan message boards. Part of me wants to believe that as people like Greene become the face of the modern GOP, it will force more suburban moderates to abandon the party. I'm more convinced that the dynamic of Cleek's Law will take over. Republicans will embrace QAnon, simply because Democrats oppose it. A party whose only central, core belief is hating the libtards will embrace a toxic ideology that libtards hate.

Anecdotal evidence of Republicans dropping their party registration is hopeful, but only anecdotal. The GOP cannot be allowed anywhere near the levers of power until they have rediscovered basic facts.

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