Yesterday's Election

 

“You’re going to need more than one lesson,

and you’re going to get more than one lesson.”

- Boss James Gettys to Charles Foster Kane

after destroying Kane’s political career

Maybe yesterday’s lesson will be the one that finally will take with the stupid Republicans. None of the others has. Republican voters had an opportunity to select one of several qualified candidates who generally favored usual Republican principles and policies to run against and probably defeat Hillary Clinton in 2016. Instead they foolishly chose Trump – an arrogant, unprincipled demagogue, unfit by intellect, temperament, knowledge, and fidelity to the Constitution to hold any political office. When he squeaked by Clinton, they attributed the victory to his imagined political magnetism and appeal rather than to the good luck of running against a very unpopular opponent at a time when the country was ready for change after eight years of a Democratic administration. They should have learned something from the way the first administration went. They should have learned a lesson from the beating their candidates took in the midterm elections of 2018. They should have learned a lesson from him being defeated easily in 2020 by a mentally declining party hack. From the illegal and unconstitutional attempt to remain in power after that defeat, they should have learned the crucial lesson that Trump should be permanently disqualified from holding any elective office. They should have seen that his victory in 2024 was neither a landslide nor a result of his popularity but rather another close victory over a weak and unpopular opponent. Instead they bought the myth of Trump’s great political appeal and got arrogant.

Republicans claim to believe in limited government. Trump has given them a would be Duce demanding unlimited executive power. Republicans generally have believed in international trade and supported the NATO alliance. Trump has given them a crude mercantilism, tariffs, and attacks on the alliance. Republicans generally have favored capitalism and freer markets. Trump has given them top down industrial policy, corruption, and what has been called a neo-feudalism run for the benefit of the ruler and his associates. Republicans formerly stayed away from racial bigots and nativists. Trump has embraced them. Republicans used to do a better job than Democrats on liberty and fidelity to the Constitution. Trump has fixed that one too.

Republicans abandoned the things they claimed to believe for political gain, and what it finally got them was yesterday’s beatings. The lesson should be clear. Their multi-year disgraceful surrender to Trump did not work. If they want a better future, it needs to be one without Trump or Trumpism. The should not want too many more such lessons, but if they do not wise up, they probably will get some.