The Post ran a story about a Quinnipiac poll that shows that Republicans and Democrats have very different takes on the document issues surrounding Trump and Biden (and now Pence).
Basically, 61% of Republicans say, improbably, that Trump did no wrong, whereas just 19% think he acted inappropriately. Democrats are more evenly split between saying Biden did no wrong (41%) and that he acted inappropriately (39%).
The first and most important distinction is that Trump obstructed the investigation, whereas Biden (and Pence) cooperated. The nature of the documents in Trump's possession are likely different, too, though we are still determining that. Trump's document scandal is uniquely Trumpian and uniquely bad. Biden and Pence are part of a systemic problem with classified documents.
For many Republicans, though, Trump is always right and any criticism is "fake news." Democrats are perfectly capable of chastising and holding their leaders accountable. That's the difference between democracy and a cult of personality.
When various forms of Republican sexual malfeasance come to light, there's a certain segment of the Very Online who ask, "Why did Al Franken have to resign for a little inappropriate behavior, but Matt Gaetz doesn't have to resign despite being involved with underaged girls?" The difference is not in the institution of Congress, but in the parties themselves. Republicans will not expel George Santos, because they don't believe in democratic accountability. They believe themselves above the law and consequences.
OK, "not all Republicans" but you get the point.
No comments:
Post a Comment