Republicans’ positions on sure points could present completely satisfied media fodder amongst those that may bemoan the shortage of “unity” or “bipartisanship” in addressing the issues that precise, actual folks could have about their lives. They might recommend that Democratic “messaging” is the issue, or (extra usually) that Democrats have to tailor their campaigns to raised entice so-called “purple America.” However by and enormous, “purple America” isn’t listening. What they’re listening to is Fox News and their hyper-partisan social media. And that tells them that voting for Democrats is akin to voting for the Satan incarnate, it doesn’t matter what the problem is.
Elie Mystal is on Daily Kos’ The Brief podcast
Josh Marshall, writing for his Talking Points Memo (TPM), often highlights among the higher feedback from his readers. Within the wake of the Uvalde shootings, he shared a remark from a reader recognized as MH, who made some astute observations.
It’s not that half of People are pro-assault rifles or no matter. It’s that half the nation—particularly Republicans—is prepared to show a blind eye to the carnage. Equally it’s not that half of People are anti-free and honest elections. It’s simply that half the nation—particularly Republicans—is prepared to show a blind eye to the plain lies of their leaders.
That is the results of polarization. Whenever you discover the opposite aspect politically unacceptable, you’ll associate with something that your aspect is related to. You possibly can add abortion and Covid to weapons and coups. There are yawning variations between what Republicans within the citizens say they imagine on all these issues of grave import and what the Republicans who characterize them do. But Republicans nearly by no means punish their leaders for these distinction of opinion.
[…]
In brief, political accountability is useless amongst these on the political proper in America. It doesn’t matter if most disagree with the celebration on assault weapons and background checks. It doesn’t matter that 70% of Republicans supported masks mandates in 2020 whereas their leaders scoffed at them. It doesn’t matter that many Republicans have no real interest in seeing Roe overturned. The facility of polarization could have them out in pressure within the fall offering lockstep assist to their congressional candidates.
That’s the reason you might have astounding numbers of Republicans voting not solely to reelect Donald Trump, however Republican candidates generally, even within the wake of a completely botched, objectively lethal pandemic response, to not point out a legacy of governmental mismanagement on a scale that places the time period “malpractice” to disgrace. Republican politicians flock to Fox Information as a result of their celebration’s mismanagement and incapability to successfully govern isn’t made a problem, they usually know that’s the place their constituents get their data. As defined over a decade in the past by Eric Alterman, the singular objective of Fox Information is to offer “ideological steering to the Republican Social gathering and hundreds of thousands of its supporters, attacking its opponents and holding its supporters in line.” Or maybe extra aptly described by CNN’s Brian Stelter, it’s “the place hosts and company demonize Democrats from morning until night time.”
Opposition to Democrats and any coverage they espouse is now, as TPM’s Marshall describes, a “cultural signifier” for Republicans, a tribal ceremony of necessity. Removed from merely voting in opposition to their pursuits, they may vote in lockstep to actually kill themselves, as long as it means not supporting any coverage they contemplate “Democratic,” as has been completely illustrated through the (unprecedented, in trendy historical past) COVID-19 pandemic. The identical is the case with weapons, and abortion, because the TPM reader factors out. There isn’t a “speaking” or “reasoning” with such folks as a result of purpose isn’t a part of this equation. The one hope of defeating them is to mobilize voters who acknowledge Republicans for what they’re: fully dedicated, ideological nihilists.
New York Republican Rep. Chris Jacobs just lately discovered this the exhausting means: By suggesting, within the wake of the Uvalde bloodbath, that he would assist a federal assault weapons ban, and even elevating the age restrict to 21 for the acquisition of semi-automatic weapons, he was merely deluged by hatred from his Republican base. Inside one week of his statements, he introduced his retirement from Congress, regardless of the so-called Republican “assist” for such measures.
I don’t intend to belabor this difficulty as a result of I feel most of us right here have already internalized it. However sooner or later, while you see a ballot saying what Republicans ”do” or “don’t” assist, take it with a grain of salt.
As a result of it doesn’t matter what they imagine or suppose. They’ve gone nicely past that. They need Democrats defeated in any respect price, even when it means destroying this nation (and probably themselves) within the course of. And they’ll flip a blind eye towards absolutely anything their so-called “representatives” do or say, so long as they’re assured it’s essential to defeat Democrats. To the extent our messaging makes a distinction, it’s simply a small sliver of the citizens that may be satisfied. A crucial sliver, maybe, however nobody needs to be beneath the phantasm that Republicans at massive will likely be moved, it doesn’t matter what the problem is.
Solar Tzu, from The Art of War:
“If you already know the enemy and know your self, you needn’t concern the results of 100 battles. If you already know your self however not the enemy, for each victory gained additionally, you will undergo a defeat. If you already know neither the enemy nor your self, you’ll succumb in each battle.”
The one watchword for these midterms? GOTV.
