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

Wednesday, October 11, 2023

A For Attention

 Nancy Mace is a fascinating case study in the degradation of the Republican Party. She basically represent her own ego rather than her constituents. Her career in Congress is about getting in front of cameras. As an conventionally attractive woman who seemed to appalled by Trump's coup attempt, she was branded as a possible post-Trump standard bearer for the Republican Party. In fact, her criticism of Trump (she did not go so far as to vote to impeach) led to a primary challenge that must've threatened her ability to get on TV. So, she's now engaged in nonsense media stunts and voting like a MAGAt, even going so far as to join with the Chaos Caucus to oust McCarthy.  McCarthy helped her hold on to her seat when Trump endorsed her primary challenger. She also thinks Jim Jordan is a "man of his word."

Look, are there attention mongers in the Democratic caucus? Sure. But ultimately if you're a Democrat, the expectation is that you've come to Washington DC to do work. Will you have to "be a politician"? Of course, but if you aren't actually legislating, your support is going to be pretty shallow. I can't think of any Republicans who are taking the lead on legislating. They exist, but they are in the shadows while vile creatures like Nancy Mace trample widows that stand between them and a camera.

Also, whoever came up with that Scarlett Letter stunt never read the book.  Or maybe that was the point, to make a mockery of the idea of actually reading books.

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