The Republican Party has pretty much stopped pretending they give a damn about the constitution, the rule of law, representative democracy or any of that stuff that gets in the way of what they really want: power, privilege, and wealth. All the proof you need is that Donald J. Trump took on the ‘best’ the Republican Party had, and wiped the floor with them to go on to the nomination.
It was no secret then and it’s no secret now that Trump is an unqualified fraud and con man. The party of “family values” fell in line behind a serial adulterer and sexual predator. The party that’s “Strong on defense” endorsed a draft dodger who mocked a combat veteran P.O.W. from his own party, and attacked a Gold Star family. The party of “fiscal responsibility” and “personal responsibility” cheered a man with a long track record of questionable deals, multiple bankruptcies, unpaid bills, and swindled investors and employees. The “party of ideas” is being led by a man who has none. The party of “Christian values” thinks a man who lies constantly and has no moral sense at all was anointed by God to serve a purpose.
(Funny thing about that — how many times in the Old Testament was Israel subjected to really bad things by God because his chosen people were screwing up and needed a lesson? Funny how those preachers warn God will punish America because of those godless liberals — but they’re absolutely certain God loves them and will reward them, no matter how bad things get on their watch. You know — killing healthcare, cutting nutrition programs, etc. All stuff that Jesus would do, right?)
The racism, the xenophobia, the white supremacy, the misogyny? Republicans have been okay with that for years, long before Trump.
Since taking office, Trump hasn’t done anything that wouldn’t have happened with any other Republican in the White House with control of Congress and the Supreme Court. Pruitt at the EPA working with industry to trash the environment for profit? Check. Sessions at DOJ rolling back civil rights, anti-trust, voting protections, etc. etc.? Check. De Vos at Education wrecking the place, the better to speed privatization of the schools? Check. Killing off unions via the Supreme Court? Check. Carson using HUD to make life hell for the poor? Check. Zinke at Interior figuring out how much federal land he can sell off or lease out? Check. They might not be bragging about it as loudly, and there might be less obvious scandal — but they’d still be doing it.
And ICE forces have become storm troopers, descending on victims in their homes, schools, work places, hospitals, churches — ripping families apart. They are going after people who have been trying to play by the rules. Even full citizens are not safe from them.
And neither are people of color. Anywhere. Breathing while black is a potential crime these days.
The Republican Party is fine with all of this — but they know many people aren’t. Trump couldn’t have ‘won’ the election without Russian ratf***ing, Comey’s ‘concern’ about Hillary, and collusion by not just Trump but the GOP as well. Hillary won the popular vote by a wide margin. Demographics are not on their side.
That’s why they’re packing the courts with conservative judges, gerrymandering like mad, and restricting the vote everywhere they can. It’s why they’re trying to destroy the press and have managed to largely neuter it, long before Trump started shouting about “Fake News!”
With all the stuff that’s coming out about the Russian connections, the porn stars, the money laundering, the blatant nepotism and profiteering by Trump — they’re still standing by him. (Except for the ones running for the exits with all the loot they can carry.) Kevin Drum has the Big Lie on display. They could stop him. There’s plenty of things to justify removing him from office. But they won’t.
The party of principles has none.
The planet is burning up, our infrastructure is crumbling, the international order that supported democracy around the world is destabilizing, inequality is at record levels — but none of that matters as long as they stay in power.
As I was writing this, Trump announced he’s pulling out of the Iran deal and imposing sanctions — for no good reasons, but a lot of bad ones. Going to war? Why not — it’s a great way to change the subject…