Everyone’s got what to say about the country’s shift toward authoritarianism, but Jonathan Chait’s brief piece in New York, where he locates Republican rejection of democracy in the emergence of Newt Gingrich and Kenneth Starr, is a must-read.
To support Trump’s reelection was always to endorse an attack on democracy. The chief divide [within] the party was between those Republicans who denied Trump’s clearly signaled intent to attack the democratic system, and those who reveled in it.
January 5th, 2021 at 12:04PM
When round 87, or whatever round this is – in exhaustion, I lose track – of them vs us is over, we’ll be left with what I hope won’t be a too fractured Democratic Party, a party of Republican moral weaklings, and, I’m guessing, a smaller essentially Nazi party. Biden and the Democrats will have the largest agenda of urgent items since FDR. Can it be boiled down to a war on stupidity, greed (both money and power) and sadism? Am I leaving something essential off the list?
January 5th, 2021 at 12:48PM
Greg: I think I’d add anger. There’s such a rage on the other side – a burning, absolutely out of control rage I first saw — with utter shock — in interviews way back when with Tea Party members. I’ve thought a lot about what’s behind that rage – a rage that accounts for that side’s indifference to rationality, or even self-interest – but I haven’t gotten very far. There’s an obvious link to your category of sadism – rage prompts cruelty.
January 5th, 2021 at 1:14PM
That raises the issue of the molten anger that it has spawned (yikes mixed figure) on – let’s call it – the other side or our side. That’s natural of course, but, if not carefully channeled, it will make matters worse. Such a skillful performance is required of Democrats for some fairly long time. It will be an hugely extended version of what happens – if you’re lucky – when you need to avoid a semi on the highway. You steer through deftly, pull over, and shake at the end. Or you don’t.