Ever notice how the news media loves to taunt Democrats? They don’t taunt Republicans the same way because Republicans won’t be taunted by people – the news media – they dismiss. Republicans are fact averse because facts don’t support most of what they want the way their feelings do. The Trumpification of the GOP didn’t change its course, it speeded up its pace. Trump’s corruption leveraged and then absorbed the Republican Party’s corruption. Trump gave Republicans permission to give up any pretense of being “public servants”. The Trump approach uses the public as servants to enrich Trump. The Trump approach also threw Republican corruption into hyperdrive. Treason can have that effect it seems.
This story’s bottommost line is treason. Donald Trump was a traitor on the payroll of a hostile foreign power even before the the Republican Party nominated him – which they did despite KNOWING that he was being paid by Putin (a fact which made Trump a grave national security threat). This happened: on June 25, 2016, upon entering a meeting of GOP leaders, current GOP Leader Kevin McCarthy announced (it was recorded!) “There’s two people I think Putin pays – Rohrbacher and Trump – swear to God!” No one in the room questioned McCarthy. No one contradicted him. No one – shocked by the news – called the FBI to report the problem.
Instead, everyone present – the GOP leadership, don’t forget – went along with then Speaker Of The House Paul Ryan’s suggestion that they all agree to stop talking about this unfortunate information. Keeping a secret about a grave threat to America’s national security – THAT, Paul Ryan told the room, would prove they were all “family”. Get that? An act of outright TREASON would prove they were all on the same page!
The Republicans saw demographic oblivion in the waning days of the “Reagan Revolution”. America was diversifying far more rapidly than anticipated – a very good thing for America (our diversity is what makes us truly exceptional among the nations of the world!) but a very bad thing for white hegemony. Political power is money to the greedy. They have zero interest in governing, they see governing as a way to line their pockets at the public’s expense. Not every politician thinks that way – and only cynical journalists think that they do!
Both sides don’t suppress the other side’s voters. Both sides don’t gerrymander so as to obliterate Black and brown voting power. Both sides don’t use sliming the opposition as a regular tactic. Both sides don’t cozy up to foreign authoritarians for help in getting elected in America. Both sides don’t take money from Putin (swear to God!) Both sides don’t see cheating as “one way to win”. Both sides don’t commit treason – or insurrection – or side with Vladimir Putin, war criminal.
Why do most Americans care so little about civics? Why are we so disconnected from voting? Why do we take democracy for granted? It ain’t progressives standing in the way of registering every 18 year old to vote. And it ain’t progressives fostering a mistrust of government. It’s simply part of the Republican battle plan to nurture cynicism – especially about elections and the potency of our votes.
As Trump himself pointed out repeatedly – whenever more Americans vote, it’s bad for Republicans.
That’s why Trump, from the get-go, put “it’s rigged” out onto the table. The irony? It WAS rigged in 2016 – by Russia and the Republican Party – FOR Donald Trump. Take Russia out of the 2016 equation and Trump would NEVER have become POTUS. The GOP knew that before they nominated Trump. Think of all the head scratching our news media has done, wondering what strange hold Putin has over Trump – as if they answer to the question hadn’t been answered already. By the news media itself.
Oy.
Free and fair elections don’t matter to Republicans. Election Kabuki OTOH does. And it’s all Kabuki. What are the Republican platforms? Oh, right – they don’t have any! The GOP believes whatever Trump believes this second. Nothing matters to them now except not getting caught. Not getting investigated any further than they’ve already been investigated. Not getting prosecuted. Not getting sentenced – perhaps even to death (because capital punishment remains one of the possible penalties for treason).
For Trump, winning the White House in 2024 isn’t about getting a second chance to govern America (hopefully, this time, getting it right), it’s about NOT GETTING PROSECUTED FOR TREASON! Trump hopes to stand behind that dumbass Department of Justice rule (not a law!) that says “you can’t indict a sitting president”). Trump and the Republican Party see a second Trump presidency as a permanent “Get Out Of Treason Free” card.
That’s why elections don’t matter to Trump or the GOP. If the only outcome they’ll ever accept is victory, then they’re not actually interested in holding an election. They’re interested in the illusion of an election that produces the rubber stamp they want. They’re interested in permanent minority rule – a thing the majority would never vote for!
That’s why elections don’t matter to Republicans.
If only our news media saw those headlines so clearly.