The central questions Republicans MUST ask themselves as we ramp up to November: Can you put your ego aside long enough to take a chance at saving the republic? Politicians in DC and around the country really need to focus on this question.
The recent Republican fratricide in Washington DC over the budget bills should illuminate the problems that the party faces as the fall election ramps up. Unlike Democrats, who are normally a lock-step monolith, the modern Republican party has a wide range of beliefs and actually a large “tent” that accepts people from all corners of the political spectrum. As a rule, the GOP discourages groupthink and thus, mavericks appear who cause problems for those trying to lead the “party”. People often do their own things.
I often hear folks say “where is the party?’ when something crazy happens at the state or national level. The “party” really means different things to different people. There is a national party, but it has no operational control over elected officials. It supports them on occasion and opposes people on occasion, as well. In truth, the national party has been a disaster in recent years. The wins by “Republicans” normally come by the effort of the candidates and their individual supporters. The national GOP has been equivalent to .500 football coach. Nothing special.
Same goes for the state level. All 50 states have their own party organizations. Rest assured there is no such thing as party control in the State of Louisiana. Most Republicans I know are in the party because it’s the only option for someone who ostensibly believes in limited government, liberty, life and fiscal responsibility.
Most parishes in Louisiana and counties around the country have party organizations. Some mean a great deal, some barely exist. But, there is NO “party” that runs everything. We are loosely affiliated to the Republican brand because of foundational principles.
Republicans, however are their own worst enemies. Republicans often pick strange fights and fall on political/proverbial swords with no logical end state in sight, other than “this makes me mad” or “I feel like I had to do that.”
In DC right now, 3 – 6 justifiably angry Republicans are considering pulling a stunt that could well cost the GOP the Speaker’s gavel in the House. In the ideal world, Mike Johnson would have 217 other committed conservatives with him who would all willingly do Republican things. But, that’s just not the case. He has a numerical majority but not a working majority. There are left wing Republicans and there people who are still mad at the fact Kevin McCarthy was run off. There are conservatives with great conviction who will believe it’s win or die.
The Democrats on the other hand, will run like a herd of wildebeests to do what they need to do to win. I can’t recall any intraparty fighting among Democrats in a long time.
I don’t understand, nor do I agree with the decisions Speaker Johnson made in either allowing the renewal of FISA or sending money to Ukraine. I don’t get it.
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I know this man. He’s a good man. He’s a Constitutional lawyer who believes in the rule of law. And I know we need him in the Speaker’s Seat for as long as possible. Running him off now could throw the House into chaos and might wind up costing the GOP the gavel. Georgia Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene (MTG) and 2-5 others are apparently ready to try and get Johnson removed. If 212 Democrats vote with them, Johnson is gone.
An internal fight in the GOP would then ensue and the already fractured party will rupture even further. It just will. The Democrats will watch this like a cat watching a plate of fish guts.
If there were ever a time for party unity it would be now. The Ukraine and FISA votes are in the past. The most important thing on any Republican or Independent’s mind needs to be how to win the fall election and ensure that four more years of senility, child sniffing and helping subjugate America to the Red Chinese are no longer the order of the day.
Joe Biden has eviscerated the American economy. He has destroyed the physical security of our country. He’s funneled billions of dollars to the Chinese and has emboldened Russia to do what it has done in Ukraine. His warnings of “don’t” are laughed at incessantly by our enemies. He’s ceded control of our border to the cartels. His weaponized DOJ and FBI have locked up political prisoners and done things we haven’t seen since the Palmer Raids of the early 20th century. We are literally teetering on the establishment of a police state and Margorie Taylor Greene is apparently so full of her own ego that she’s willing to surrender the ONLY thing the GOP has—the Speaker’s gavel.
Has Speaker Johnson done everything we want him to do? No. But not because he hasn’t wanted to; he has tried, but the numbers do not add up. He’s hemmed in by moderate Republicans on the left and (metaphorical, for anyone who is triggered easily) suicide bombers (MTG) on the right. He’s managing a burning battleship that is at sea.
It is my hope and prayer that Congresswoman Greene and others who think it’s wise to pull a stunt will think twice. It’s just not. If ever there were a time we needed to pull together, it’s now. We need the White House in November more than we need anything else. We don’t have time for an internal war. We need to hold the gavel through the election and see what the American public decides. If Hakeem Jeffries or some other leftist becomes Speaker at the will of the American voting public so be it. But giving it to him now out of spite is absolutely insanity. It’s self-destruction and the only people who win will be the leftists who really do want to destroy the country.
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