If you need an exact moment in history to call the Republican party totally brain dead, June 15, 2023 will be the perfect date. Today it was reported that Asa Hutchinson spoke with the Republican National Committee and addressed his concerns about the loyalty pledge. He did not feel comfortable with the pledge as it stood, to wit, Republicans agree to support the Republican nominee. Hutchinson wanted to add the words, “unless he is a convicted felon.” The RNC doesn’t want to be bothered — and guess what? The other Republican nominees aren’t worried about Trump being a felon, either. Politico:
Hutchinson, who is currently polling at about 1 percent in most recent polls, told POLITICO on Wednesday that he intended to ask the committee to adjust the language in the pledge. He took issue with having to potentially support a nominee who could be found guilty of felonies, in the wake of Trump’s 37-count federal indictment unsealed earlier in the week. He said he also planned to speak with some of his fellow primary opponents about making a similar request.
“I’m not going to vote for him if he’s a convicted felon,” Hutchinson said in the interview. “‘I’m not going to vote for him if he’s convicted of espionage, and I’m not going to vote for him if he’s (convicted of) other serious crimes. And I’m not going to support him.”
“They need to put a little rationality to what is said in that oath or that pledge,” Hutchinson continued, referring to the RNC.
Umm…Asa? We don’t know how to break it to you, buddy, but it’s been quite a while now since “rational” and “Republican” belonged in the same sentence. But we appreciate the thought. Oh, yes, we do. Believe us when we tell you that Democratic heads are aching at night, hell, 24/7, trying to figure out if the GOP will actually strain the bounds of credulousness yet once more, and this time put not only a game show host, but a convicted felon game show host at the top of its ticket. We truly marvel at the possibility and if you think your mind is blown, please know that you are not alone.
POLITICO reached out to the other declared candidates, but none said they wanted the RNC to amend the loyalty pledge. A spokesperson for former Vice President Mike Pence’s team did not immediately dismiss Hutchinson’s proposal, but said: “We want President Trump on the debate stage, because we think this would be a good contrast for us.”
Of course they don’t want to amend the loyalty pledge. They don’t even have the guts to do that much. And of course they’ll vote for Trump — even if he’s a convicted felon — if the dice fall that way at the convention.
Paul Ryan and Mike Pence are continually intoning, “Trump isn’t going to be the nominee,” but so far all evidence in the real world leads to precisely that conclusion. At least as of this day in the middle of June.
I take my hat off to Asa Hutchinson. At least he’s the voice of sanity. He’s also polling at 1% and his chances of getting the nomination are nil, but I respect him for stating the morally obvious.
They want the contrast of having Trump onstage with them? What the hell? This is a guy who might literally decide to (because his Secret Service detail would have to protect him from retaliation) fling flaming bags of poop at each and every one of them! And laugh about it, again safely protected say “Whatcha gonna do about it?”
They (republiQanons) already know (and always have) that Traitor Tot is a lifelong criminal and felon, the only difference is that he will a CONVICTED criminal and felon!
Whatever happened to the oh so quaint “avoiding even the appearance of impropriety”?