Utah’s Shortly-to-be-Former Congresswoman Mia Love writes her farewell in The Washington Post, still sadly oblivious to the real reasons why the GOP lost the House. Her argument is that the Right just somehow fails to get its message out, and if only they could connect with the oh-so-vast majority that agrees with them on "policies that protect life at all stages, preserve free markets, promote fiscal responsibility and limit government” then the Republicans would have the permanent majority they deserve.
No, Congresswoman, your party got its message through just fine, and we all heard it loud and clear.
Your message wasn't "protect life at all stages, preserve free markets, promote fiscal responsibility and limit government." It was racism, fear, willful stupidity, smug unearned certainty, presumed superiority, hypocrisy, favor for some at the expense of others, the right to lie, and freedom from consequences. The actions based on those messages showed us all that the GOP says one thing and does another every time, and then excuses it all by lying to the base of voters who are so stupid that they believe what you told them.
Under the dark tutelage of Frank Luntz and his whole school of strategic lying, the Republicans have perfected the art of suggesting one thing, doing another, and blaming the hearer for getting it wrong. Mealy-mouthed ambiguities such as “protect”, “preserve”, “promote” and “limit” sounded powerful from the podium, but on the ground they were wet clay that could take any shape. In the cause of protecting life at all stages the GOP has reduced the value of women’s lives. To preserve free markets the GOP wants to subsidize dying energy industries and externalize the costs. They added a trillion dollars to the debt to promote fiscal responsibility. To limit government they protect a criminal, interfere with due process, denigrate government intelligence, and marginalize anyone not of their party, their thinking, and their agenda. Like, say, Mia Love.
Life, free markets, fiscal responsibility, limited government...the GOP wheedled and hinted for decades about all these supposedly non-negotiable positions, and betrayed them all with the support and rationalizing of functionaries. Like, say, Mia Love.
Leave, Ms. Love. You were window dressing in a party that treats women and minorities like Kleenex. They told you you were part of the club. You are so stupid that you believed what they told you.