We Lost the Battle for the Republican Party’s Soul Long Ago

[KUTradition]

kcrim is a microcosm

[jfish26]

The GOP is no longer a party. It’s a movement to impose White Christian nationalism.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions ... tionalism/

People might be confused about how a Republican Party that once worried about government overreach now seeks to control medical care for transgender children and retaliate against a corporation for objecting to a bill targeting LGBTQ students. And why is it that the most ambitious Republicans are spending more time battling nonexistent critical race theory in schools than on health care or inflation?

To explain this, one must acknowledge that the GOP is not a political party anymore. It is a movement dedicated to imposing White Christian nationalism.

The media blandly describes the GOP’s obsessions as “culture wars,” but that suggests there is another side seeking to impose its views on others. In reality, only one side is repudiating pluralistic democracy — White, Christian and mainly rural Americans who are becoming a minority group and want to maintain their political power.

The result is an alarming pattern: Any moment of social progress is soon followed by reactionary panic and claims of victimhood. It’s no mere coincidence that Donald Trump, the leader of the birther movement, succeeded the first African American president. Nor should the anti-critical-race-theory movement surprise anyone given the mass protests in the wake of George Floyd’s murder in 2020. Understanding his phenomenon is crucial to preserving pluralistic democracy.

[...]

Today, those who argue that America is a White, Christian nation simultaneously insist they are devoid of bigotry. The MAGA crowd is offended by any attempt to identify the ongoing reality of systemic racism (evident, for example, in the criminal justice system, maternal health care, housing discrimination and gerrymandering to reduce minority voting power). The notion that institutions they refuse to reform perpetuate racism is a sort of moral challenge to their claim to be “colorblind.” Perhaps it is simply self-interested blindness.

No one should be surprised that the “big lie” has become gospel in White evangelical churches. The New York Times reports: “In the 17 months since the presidential election, pastors at these churches have preached about fraudulent votes and vague claims of election meddling. … For these church leaders, Mr. Trump’s narrative of the 2020 election has become a prominent strain in an apocalyptic vision of the left running amok.”

If anti-critical-race-theory crusades are the response to racial empathy, then laws designed to make voting harder or to subvert elections are the answer to the GOP’s defeat in 2020, which the right still refuses to concede. The election has been transformed into a plot against right-wingers that must be rectified by further marginalizing those outside their movement.

Our political problems are significant, but they are minor compared with the moral confusion that is afflicting the millions of White Christian Americans who consider themselves victims. Left unaddressed, this will smother calls for empathy, tolerance and justice.

[KUTradition]

heard someone say on the radio this morning that Republicans have become the party of rule or ruin

[Sparko]

heard someone say on the radio this morning that Republicans have become the party of rule or ruin

My dear Trad, the Republican Party is the party of rule and ruin.

[MICHHAWK]

the democrats have certainly done a bang up job here in 2022.

[RainbowsandUnicorns]

the democrats have certainly done a bang up job here in 2022.

The democrats and republicans BOTH have certainly done a "bang up job" here in 2022 and in the past 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 (and more) years.
Until they truly give a damn and work together and put aside many of their asinine differences, people such as you, me, and the majority of the country, unnecessarily suffer in various ways.

[KUTradition]

the democrats have certainly done a bang up job here in 2022.

this administration’s accomplishments have already surpassed those of the previous, and in less than half the time too

[MICHHAWK]

uncle joe is sitting in the big boys chair. so he gets the credit for the good stuff. and the blame for the bad stuff.

credit:
china fungus is over
exit afghanistan
no boots in ukraine




blame:
inflation
gas prices
illegal immigration
stock market down in 22
supply chain
worker shortage
crime
home prices



just to name a few off the top of my head. i left space so we could add more.

[MICHHAWK]

does my above offering qualify as misinformation.

[KUTradition]

does my above offering qualify as misinformation.

the fact that you need to ask speaks volumes

[Deleted User 863]

does my above offering qualify as misinformation.

No, it doesn't.

"the buck stops here" according to Unc Joe. That's how the job works. You get to take credit for the good things, even if you did little to make those things happen. And conversely you get blamed for the bad things, even if you did little/nothing to make those things happen.

[TDub]

the democrats have certainly done a bang up job here in 2022.

this administration’s accomplishments have already surpassed those of the previous, and in less than half the time too

that all depends on your metrics.


Thats not an attaboy for 16-20 by any stretch...

simply a sad statements on the ride since 16 (or really about 14).

[KUTradition]

the democrats have certainly done a bang up job here in 2022.

this administration’s accomplishments have already surpassed those of the previous, and in less than half the time too

that all depends on your metrics.


Thats not an attaboy for 16-20 by any stretch...

simply a sad statements on the ride since 16 (or really about 14).

what are your metrics?

edit: to be clear, i don’t think Biden has done a good job across the board

[MICHHAWK]

what are your metrics?

they are listed in the BLAME column above. that column accounts for roughly 95% of what the folks consider important for happiness and quality of life.

[PhDhawk]

Isn't worker shortage the same thing as low unemployment?

[Cascadia]

It always amazes me that people think the president of the United States is responsible for the things in MICH’s blame category.

But, humans are fucking dumb

[TDub]

this administration’s accomplishments have already surpassed those of the previous, and in less than half the time too

that all depends on your metrics.


Thats not an attaboy for 16-20 by any stretch...

simply a sad statements on the ride since 16 (or really about 14).

what are your metrics?

edit: to be clear, i don’t think Biden has done a good job across the board

Id have to sit and actually think about measurable metrics to give you a fair answer.

In a general sense for the last decade I dont know that I can look at my surroundings (meaning USA and also state level) and say "yea, we are absolutely in a better spot as a country/community than we were last year, last 5 years etc."

we are at war, there is a looming climate crisis, there is massive inflation, there is a looming food shortage.

all of the leaders of the last 20 years have contributed to all of those things. Biden, has been in some sort of powerful position for the better part of 40 years. I havent seen anything from him that tells me he's the man for the job. It was obvious from day 1 that Trump certainly wasn't either.

[MICHHAWK]

It always amazes me that people the president of the United States is responsible for the things in MICH’s blame category.

i predict the president would be to blame if there was a republican in the white house.

we will test my theory in the next 7-35 months.

[Deleted User 863]

Isn't worker shortage the same thing as low unemployment?

Not always, but yes, sometimes.

[PhDhawk]

Isn't worker shortage the same thing as low unemployment?

Not always, but yes, sometimes.

I meant in THIS case.