Monday, January 04, 2021

NEVER MIND THE STATE OF THE COUNTRY -- WHAT DOES THIS MEAN FOR REPUBLICANS?

There's some good reporting and commentary in The New York Times on our current constitutional crisis. Then there's this, from Carl Hulse:
After four years of enabling and appeasing President Trump, Republicans find themselves at the end of his tenure in exactly the place they had so desperately tried to avoid: a toxic internecine brawl over his conduct and character that could badly damage their party.

With their Senate power on the line in Georgia in two days, Republicans entered the new Congress on Sunday bitterly divided over the basic question of whether to acknowledge the reality that Mr. Trump had lost the election, or to abet his unjustified and increasingly brazen attempts to overturn the results.
The state of the country seems far more important at this moment than the state of the Republican Party, but okay, I'll bite: How divided is the GOP? Are any of these folks threatening to quit the party? (No.) Are there serious leadership challenges to Mitch McConnell and Kevin McCarthy in the Senate and House? (No.) If Republicans hold the Senate after the Georgia runoffs and McConnell gets in another shipment of Federalist Society judges between now and January 20, will this alleged GOP schism prevent those judges from being seated? (No.)
Beyond Georgia, the Republican dilemma had implications for the ability of party members to work with one another and a new Democratic White House after Jan. 20, for Republicans on the midterm ballot in 2022 and for the party’s presidential field in 2024.
It was always safe to assume that Republicans in Congress wouldn't work with the new Democratic White House after January 20 -- are there really going to be bitter fights among Republicans on that subject? And while there will probably be tough GOP primaries in 2022 and 2024 (unless Donald Trump simply cruises to victory in the 2024 presidential primaries), do we seriously believe Republicans won't back fellow Republicans in general elections?
In a pointed challenge to Mr. McConnell’s influence and authority at the outset of Congress, a dozen Senate Republicans rejected his plea to not contest the tabulating of the electoral votes in the House on Wednesday.
Yes, but they're not challenging him on important stuff: tax cuts for the rich, deregulation, judges, working to ensure that Democrats are undermined whenever the manage to gain power.

Republicans will fine. Worry about the country, not them.

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