The past few tumultuous weeks in American politics have revealed a sharp split within the normally unified Republican ranks. This rift is playing out most directly on the issue of Donald Trump’s impeachment, but has much deeper roots.
Elements of this rift could be seen throughout the Trump presidency, with most Republican officeholders and party leaders enthusiastically endorsing pretty much any claim that Trump made, no matter how false or inane. Only a tiny number — most notably, Sens. Mitt Romney and Jeff Flake — spoke up. But this latter group seems to have found a stronger voice since the insurrection at the Capitol on Jan. 6.
On one level this split is about Trump. Some Republicans see him as uniquely capable of turning out lower-income white voters or theybeing unleashed against them . Others want Trump gone from the Republican Party, seeing him as antithetical to whatever remains of ideological conservatism as well as a barrier to their own presidential ambitions. And some see him as politically costly,But the split runs deeper than concerns about Trump.
One is to essentially govern as a minority party, taking advantage of institutions like the Senate and the electoral college that allow them to prevail even when winning fewer votes or by making it harder for poorer people to vote.The other approach is to bring cultural cleavages into the political debate, drawing voters’ attention to issues like racial animosity, gun rights, abortion rules and same-sex marriage instead of wealth inequality.
For this reason, it is quite often the conservative party’s own commitment to democratic norms that determines whether a democracy succeeds or fails. We see the Republican Party struggling with these very issues today. Given the size of the faction apparently willing to overturn an election, the prospects for a shift aren’t good. Still, there has been criticism of Trump for the insurrection, even by the likes of Sen. Mitch McConnell.
opinion Probably just a coincidence that IMPOTUSx2 chose to run as a republican...
opinion They see the simple path to end our experiment with democracy, lie. It was always there, but some had been restrained by conscience.
opinion 'Donald, we can't quit you!'
opinion The GOP has always been the party representing the wealthy while using cultural issues to get people to support its anti democratic platform. Go ahead, start your patriot party.
opinion 'Pretty much any'. Solid Journalisming there👍
opinion Ahhhhh what is Lee Atwater
opinion nice
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