And I Am LOVING It!
I am absolutely loving where the Republican party is right now. To say they’re stuck between nothing but rocks and hard places would be the understatement of the decade.
They enabled Trump. They covered for his stupidity, his racism, his misogyny, his corruption. They Trump-‘splained his ludicrous statements and tweets. Not only did they accept his obvious lies, they themselves lied in order to protect him.
What the GOP had confirmed for them on November 6th was that their “pResident” isn’t the vote-getter he claims to be, and that his much-touted “base” couldn’t keep the House in Republican (and Trump’s) hands. What got shoved in their face was the fact that the majority of Trump-endorsed candidates lost their races.
Which brings us to where the GOP is right now.
The Republicans now know that their “pResident” isn’t the draw he was in 2016. They also now know that he will be investigated by Democrats – and are probably shitting themselves over what might be exposed as a result. They also now know that the country is rejecting Trump’s policies, and want a check on his outrageous behaviour.
So now we cut to the chase.
Come January, political parties will launch their campaigns for the 2020 presidential election – which means the Republicans are going to have to start campaigning for a man they now know to be a loser. They are looking at two years of having to enthusiastically support a man who is already steeped in scandal, and who will undoubtedly be the subject of even more scandals between now and November 2020.
And then there’s the Mueller investigation, the findings of which will – one way or another – be revealed in the midst of the GOP trying to rally the troops to re-elect their lying, corrupt “pResident”.
I keep hearing that the Republican senate will never impeach Trump – and that may be so. But if Mueller’s probe produces proof of crimes and misdemeanours, confirms collusion with the Russians, exposes Trump’s tax fraud, money-laundering, or other criminal activity, the lack of impeachment will be a moot point in the context of trying to get Trump re-elected. I could be wrong, but ”Sure he’s a Russian-colluding crook, but vote for him anyway” doesn’t strike me as a winning campaign strategy.
So that’s where the GOP finds itself tonight: facing two years of trying to promote the re-election of someone they can’t possibly believe is re-electable, two more years of defending the increasingly indefensible, two more years of fruitless attempts to Trump-‘splain the daily spewing of lies, two more years of trying to get ahead of the latest scandal before the next one inevitably hits the headlines.
And then there’s Trump himself – the worst enemy the Republican party has ever faced, the man who insisted that the party’s focus in the midterms should be the caravan of smallpox-and-leprosy carrying terrorists about to invade the country, the man who shocked the nation – and the world – by refusing to participate in ceremonies honouring fallen US soldiers twice in one weekend on both the national and international stage, the man who continues to spew unhinged tweets that undermine the carefully-crafted memes that Republican powers-that-be put all of their efforts into advancing.
Like I said, there’s nothing but rocks and hard places ahead for the GOP – and I take unbridled delight in all of it. What I can’t help but ponder is how many Republicans are looking back on the past two years and realizing that all of their enabling, all of their covering up, all of their lying, and their eager willingness to abandon every principle they once laid claim to was all for naught.
All they’ve wound up with is a party obligation to stand by their man fully knowing that as bad as things are right now, they will only get worse.
The damage Trump has done to the country is inestimable. The damage he’s done to the Republican party is priceless. Much of what Trump has done to our nation can be undone. But what Trump has done to the GOP will last for a very, very, very long time.
That thought warms my heart, as I anxiously await the first Republican pundit to appear on a political news show and state – with a straight face and as much enthusiasm as they can muster – that re-electing a lying, corrupt, unhinged madman is a really good idea.
= new reply since forum marked as read
"Laid claim to" is not quite the same as "had", is it? 
I love it! Thank you.
In many cases, they abandoned the pretense of principle or turned a principle on its head in order to cuddle up to the Crybaby Don.
... I believe words matter, and I choose mine accordingly.
"Laid claim to" IS very different than "had".
Thanks for noticing the difference between the two. 
two horrible long Deplorable years to get here.. not knowing if we'd succeed or not.
But, here we are in all its Surreal Glory!
Thanks, Nance for helping us get it here with a modicum of sanity
The KGOP republicans are the party of boofers. They are counting on their barf-solid boofer base to keep their greazy fingers on the Buttons of Power.
Nothing to add.
Brava!!!
