Do you feel it? The danger that lurks just around the corner?
Last night, Rep. Liz Cheney gave what could only be called her exit speech in which she reiterated that the Big Lie is just that, and Trump is working overtime to keep it alive. And that he could incite more violence because of it. (The full speech is 6 minutes, and well worth the time. You can watch it on YouTube HERE.)
Why is it an exit speech? Well, this morning, the GOP will vote her out of her leadership role in the party for the sin of telling the truth. The rest of the party is betting on Trump for their electoral fortunes and that means that they have to bow to the reality that he wants — i.e. the belief that the election was stolen from him. We all know that it wasn’t, but only a tiny minority of Republicans are saying it out loud. Cheney is one of them.
Now to be perfectly clear, I disagree with Liz Cheney on almost every issue. She has voted in line with Trump roughly 95% of the time. The conservatism that she’d like to see the government embrace is about the opposite of what I want in my government. But I will applaud her for sticking to her guns (pun intended) and not bowing to the political pressure like every other lily-livered Republican.
Is it possible that her getting kicked out by Republicans will turn off just enough Republican voters to make it virtually impossible for the GOP to win elections in 2022 and 2024? Maybe.
But for me, I only sense danger. The fact that she is so terribly alone in this crusade spells danger to me. Reporters said there was only one other member of her party in the chamber who stayed to listen to her speech. We have hushed whispers of others who say they feel like she does, but that doesn’t amount to a hill of beans if they’re secretive about it.
Which means the masses — the public, the voters, the MAGA faithful — are the clear majority in the Republican party. And where there’s a majority, there’s power. And where there’s power, more will join.
We simply cannot allow the Republicans to win back any part of the federal government in 2022, much less 2024, but if we fall asleep on the job, if we don’t put forth the kind of energy and drive we poured into 2018 or Georgia in January of this year, I fear for our country and our democracy. I really do.
If you want to see what it would look like if the Republicans were in power again, just look at the state legislatures in red states. They’re passing laws based on culture wars, and rejecting science, and punishing children. It’s dystopic.
Please, join me in pledging to take action to make sure we keep electing more Democrats to all levels of government. This current Republican party doesn’t deserve to have any power.
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I so pledge to take a political action daily to reinforce democratic principles. I will write postcards to prospective Dem voters or make a donation to a candidate or political organization that aligns with my values or call or email my senators and representative on an issue. The last is especially easy—just dial the capitol switchboard in DC and ask for the office of your representatives, (202) 224-3121 anytime of the day or night.
Thank you for taking action!
You’re right to feel this sense of dread…I’ve been swimming in this relentless fear for 5 years. Unfortunately neither the Democratic leadership at the state or federal levels, nor the media, nor the general public seem to understand that our nation is in freefall. Just because we haven’t felt the full impact of the crash doesn’t mean that we won’t. I saw the same denialism right before the 2008 crash. Do people have to lose everything before they are willing to act?
Hopefully not.
Tokyo, in my conversations and messages with staff of several Republican Congressman as I tell them what a shame it is that Rep. Liz Cheney is being removed from her position for speaking the truth, I do leave the words of conservative pundit David Brooks to digest. On PBS News Hour last Friday, Brooks said “To be a leader in the Republican Party, you must lie.” Not to be outdone, earlier in the week, conservative pundit Michael Gerson said the people leading the Republican Party are either “suckers or liars.” These are not a Democrats saying this.
Republican leaders had two chances to remove the deceitful and seditious former president and decided to give him a hall pass. They opened Pandora’s Box and now must deal with the carnage. And, what is so frustrating is they know the former president is lying, but cannot summon the courage to admit it. Cheney, Kinzinger, Romney, etc. have such courage, yet they must be erased. The party cannot have people calling their emperor naked. Keith
Keith, you know how I feel about this. The fact that so many of these Republican politicians have their eyes wide open yet are kowtowing to Trumpism is frightening, to say the least. I appreciate that you continue to speak truth to them.
I also pledge to take action to ensure America stays a democracy and to enact progressive change. Thank you for your work!
Thank you, Jason!