It's Not News That McConnell and McCarthy Are Craven Patsies for Trump, but the Danger Has Grown

[babylonsister]

https://www.newyorker.com/news/our-columnists/its-not-news-that-mcconnell-and-mccarthy-are-craven-patsies-for-trump-but-the-danger-has-grown

It’s Not News That McConnell and McCarthy Are Craven Patsies for Trump, but the Danger Has Grown
Republican leaders are more beholden than ever to a narcissistic demagogue who has no respect for democracy or the law.
By John Cassidy
April 22, 2022

snip//

Behind the scenes, of course, there is still a struggle of sorts going on for the future of the G.O.P. As Trump continues to spread the Big Lie that he didn’t lose the 2020 election, he’s busy doling out endorsements to his favored Republican candidates in this year’s midterm races, particularly the Senate ones—Herschel Walker in Georgia, Mehmet Oz in Pennsylvania, J. D. Vance in Ohio. On the other side, McConnell is busy trying to prevent the former President from saddling the Party with “goofball” candidates who might deprive it of a majority in both chambers.

But, as usual, it is Trump who is setting the terms of this contest. From his Palm Beach stronghold, he freely lashes out at any Republican candidate whom he considers insufficiently loyal or pandering. Earlier this week, he ripped into Arizona’s attorney general, Mark Brnovich, whose long-running investigation into the 2020 election in Maricopa County, which includes much of Phoenix, so far hasn’t turned up any evidence of the widespread fraud that Trump and his acolytes allege took place. Meanwhile, any public criticism of Trump is strictly verboten. After Trump complained that Brnovich was taking too long with his report, and strongly hinted that he will be endorsing another candidate in Arizona’s Senate race, Brnovich issued a milquetoast statement saying, “I understand his frustration, but as I’ve said previously, I will continue to follow the facts and evidence and do what the law requires.”

It’s eminently clear where Republican candidates are learning the techniques of prostration: from their own leaders. And this abject situation isn’t likely to change. If the events of January 6, 2021, weren’t sufficient to embolden the likes of McCarthy and McConnell for more than a few days, could anything effect such a transformation? Probably not. To be sure, there are some individual elected Republicans, such as Cheney and Mitt Romney, who are still willing to criticize and challenge Trump, but none of them are in positions of authority within the Party.

Taken as a whole, the G.O.P. is still in the same position it has been in for the past five and a half years: beholden to a narcissistic demagogue who has no respect for democracy or the law. In fact, the situation is even worse than it used to be, because the demagogue is now explicitly demanding that Republican candidates sign on to his Big Lie about 2020—a modern version of the “stab-in-the-back” conspiracy theory that helped undermine the Weimar Republic. In one sense, it’s fun to read yet another story confirming the utter spinelessness and cravenness of McConnell, McCarthy, et al. Ultimately, though, the joke is on us.

[RainCaster]

1. And the entire GOP gets on its knees for Putin

Conservatives and communism go hand in hand.

[myccrider]

2. I disagree. Putin isn't a communist...

Russia doesn’t have a communist government. Conservatives have historically opposed sincere socialist/communist movements. China and the USSR never even got to the original vision of socialism, let alone anywhere near the ideal of communism. They both devolved to authoritarian regimes. Putin’s Russian Federation has just doubled down on all that.

So, no, conservatives don’t go hand in hand with communists. From sociological and psychological studies we know that the conservative personality aligns most closely with authoritarianism, not egalitarianism.

At one time in my life I was a communist. When I realized that communism would never work due to basic human nature I rejected that worldview. Communism entails that everyone would work for the collective good naturally/organically without authorities or leaders to enforce rules, similar to anarchist ideology or (original) Christian preaching or hippie dreams. People don’t work that way, eg the tragedy of the commons. Unrestrained capitalism also sux. A hybrid of a democratic socialist type government with tightly regulated, limited capitalism seems to be the best, if imperfect, solution of how we organize ourselves.

[dalton99a]

3. Kick