SNIPPETT: POWER AND CONTROL ARE SUBJECTIVE TERMS, BUT ONE CERTAIN THING IS THAT THEY ARE NEVER STATIC. IT IS ALWAYS MORE OR LESS SWINGING LIKE THE PENDULUM ON A CLOCK.
Today’s blog is not a critique of Republican or Democratic policy or philosophy. It is about the state of power and control between authoritarianism and democracy. Over the past several months’ the pendulum seems to have been swinging towards authoritarianism. Over the past week, however the swing has started moving slightly to the side of democracy.
Liz Cheney’s courageous yet strategic move to attack Trump openly and vow to continue the battle has encouraged the silent minority of the party to begin to speak out against Trumpism. The Reagan Republicans have now formed a wing of the party called Americas Promise. The main effort with this group is to diminish Trumps power in the party, and move Republicans from the party of grievance to one with a policy and a platform.
Although the odds of defeating Trump as the party’s leader are slim, the Cheney revolt and the 20% of the party that is anti-Trump will have leverage that might make the difference between victory and defeat in 2022 and 2024. Whether the Reagan Republicans choose to form a third party or remain Republican and not vote would influence both Democrats and Republicans. A center right candidate could draw from both parties.
Another factor that moves the pendulum has been the protest in Arizona by the Maricopa County board of Supervisors over what has become a joke of a recount sponsored by the Republican legislature. The objectors are Republican county commissioners who believe the recount is a sham and an embarrassment to the State of Arizona. The recount’s value as leverage for the Trumpites has lost much value in the public eye, and the fear of a precedent-setting move to encourage other states to do the same has diminished dramatically. Although there is still pressure on swing states to follow Arizona, the threat of that happening is now front page news. As of now, a watchdog group is suing Arizona regarding the legality of the Republican recount.
The rule of law also has taken up the banner of democracy as lawsuits on the state level are attempting to refute voter suppression laws. In this case, the conservative courts might uphold the fifteenth amendment as they approach such issues as strict constructionists of the constitution. The fact that over 60 lawsuits filed by Trump after the election were overturned gives credence that the rule of law is a safeguard to unfounded threats to democracy.
Time is also moving along in the investigative process concerning Matt Gaetz, Rudy Giuliani, and Donald Trump. Most importantly, their bad behavior and lies have not gone unnoticed and will not be forgiven. The publicity generated from individuals who disregard the law or believe they are above the law has severely impacted the image of the Trump Republicans. Guilty verdicts and incarceration would make access to public office difficult if not impossible.
The congressional goon squad of Marjorie Taylor Greene and Ron Johnson and a dozen others are now the voice of the Trump party of denial. Their congressional antics and embrace of QAnon mock the system and push their party further to the right. As time progresses more members of the party will find the unhinged behavior untenable and move on. The proposal for a January 6th commission, whether it passes the Senate or not, is a lose- lose for Trump. Trump will threaten revenge for any Republican who votes for the establishment of the commission. An important point in the power struggle will be whether the Democrats can find ten votes for a sixty- vote majority.
Finally, the most interesting development rests with the initial splintering of the Southern Baptist Convention. Several leaders have left the convention in protest of Trump’s moral turpitude. Trumps strength with the Baptists has been the anti- abortion issue. The fact that there is disaffection within the church is revealing, however the South is locked in as red politically. If the U.S. Supreme Court dilutes or rejects Roe vs Wade as it hears the current case, Trumps popularity and leverage will decline, as most members have been willing to put up with Trumps behavior over his support of the anti- abortion issue. Baptists might then begin to lean towards Reagan Republican candidates.
In conclusion, while Trumps buffoons push their party to the right and protests begin over party legitimacy, mainstream America is beginning to absorb the reality of Trumpism and it danger to democracy. Although there is some inertia pushing the pendulum away from authoritarianism, the nature of power and control is a fickle beast.
George Washington in his farewell speech, cautioned Americans on the danger of political parties. His belief was that each individual should vote their conscience for a candidate and not ascribe to any political philosophy. His warning fell on deaf ears. As the constitution was signed, there were already two political parties. The parties were personified with the likes Aaron Burr a fan of states’ rights and Alexander Hamilton who favored a central bank and more national power. Burr killed Hamilton in a duel, subsequently left the country, and attempted to form a separate country in the Spanish area of East Texas. The threat to democracy and the division between the two political parties continues to this day and the pendulum will continue to swing from side to side as it has for the past 232 years.
FW 5/20/21
American Commentary 