Think Republicans Really Want to Win?
The November midterm election is six weeks away. By all accounts, election night 2022 should be a good one for Republicans. Joe Biden and Democrats have sent inflation to a 40-year high and have inflated gas prices by artificially reducing the world’s supply of oil. With the help of soft on crime District Attorneys, they have sent the crime rate soaring in every large American city. And what are their priorities? Pronouns and climate change.
When former President Donald Trump vowed to drain the swamp, he did not promise to do it along party lines. Swamp creatures are swamp creatures, and regardless of party, must be exposed. In 2016, many Republicans may have been skeptical about Trump at the beginning. He was a political novice and outsider, and unproven commodity. It didn’t take long for most of the GOP to get on the Trump train to be a part of an agenda that only spelled success for America. But Jan. 6, 2021, changed a lot of GOP minds. No one still really knows what went on that day, but a lot of fingers were pointed at Trump. Could it be that many of those doing the finger pointing just needed an excuse to come out of the anti-Trump closet?
A Washington Post report claims that House Minority Leader Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-CA), was instrumental this spring in weeding out those that were deemed “controversial” candidates. One of those was Rep. Madison Cawthorne (R-NC). McCarthy reportedly said of Cawthorne that he had “lost my trust.” There could be something to that. At the time, several scandals were piling up for Cawthorne. He had hurled accusations at fellow members of Congress that they had used drugs and invited him to what he called an “orgy.” Compromising photos also began to surface. Cawthorne was defeated in his primary in May. Cawthorne was also a Trump-endorsed candidate. Keep that in mind. It will come up again. According to the Washington Post report, Cawthorne was not the only one with a target on his back put there by McCarthy and associates. The report also claims that McCarthy had others on the chopping block. According to the Post, “targeting Cawthorne was part of a larger behind-the-scenes effort by top GOP donors and senior strategists to purge the influence of Republican factions that seek disruption and grandstanding, often at the expense of their GOP colleagues.” Was that code-speak for “Trump endorsed and Trump supporting?” The report goes on. The claim is that McCarthy was also looking to get rid of anyone who might give him any “trouble.” If Republicans take control of the House in November, Kevin McCarthy will more than likely become Speaker of the House. He doesn’t want “trouble.” There was also an effort to eliminate conservative candidates in districts where it was thought that a more moderate candidate had a better chance of winning
McCarthy has had his anti-Trump moments in the past. He has claimed that other America First members of Congress had stated that not questioning the results of the 2020 election were “anti-Trump.” He remarked about it, “Can’t they take their Twitter accounts away?” He also discussed invoking the 25th amendment after Jan 6 with other GOP leaders, but remarked that the process, “takes too long.” McCarthy has denied any such comments.
If Republicans manage despite Kevin McCarthy and his cronies to retake the House, complete with America First MAGA Representatives, there is another potential problem. Front and center on the GOP docket are investigations into the IRS, parents at school board meetings being labeled “domestic terrorists,” the disaster at the southern border, origins of COVID, and the catastrophe that was the Afghanistan withdrawal just to name a few. Several GOP members have already brought up the possibility of impeachment for Joe Biden and possibly Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas. But recently, during an appearance on Steve Bannon’s “War Room” podcast, America First Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) told Bannon that several in the GOP are already getting squishy on the topic of impeachment. Gaetz says they are already against the impeachment of Mayorkas who Gaetz says is, “purposefully turning our border into a turnstile.” Gaetz also said basically the same of some who are “arguing very very fervently that they will oppose impeachment in any context for any official in the Biden administration.”
The gift of squishiness would be the best gift the GOP could give to Democrats. And Gaetz brings up some very important points. Democrats took ridiculous advantage of events to impeach Donald Trump not once but twice. Gaetz says bluntly that, it’s time for Republicans to “fight fire with fire.”
Combine the shenanigans of Kevin McCarthy, with comments made earlier this month by Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) about “quality candidates,” most likely a reference, again to Trump endorsed and Trump supporting candidates, and a standard amount of squishy Republicans. Does this sound like a bunch who is interested in winning? Or are they just interested in playing “go along to get along” so they will be invited to the correct cocktail parties? Senate Republicans just nodded and tagged along behind Democrats on a new stop-gap spending measure to keep the government running that included yet another $12.3 billion in military and economic aid to Ukraine, among the other pork chops of note in the bill.
This is exactly the kind of thing that Americans are sick and tired of. A uni-party that does not stand up for conservative beliefs and values. Yes, you can say that while still in the minority, there are not a lot of strings they can pull. But the reason Trump endorsed, Trump supporting candidates are doing well is because it is that kind of backbone, that not taking of whatever Democrats are dishing out and fighting back that Americans want, whether the GOP ruling class in Washington wants it or not.
