Politics is one area of life where the fates are fickle and fortune can turn on a dime. Friday saw Ronna McDaniel and the RNC disgrace themselves in one city, while Mike Pence wowed the Federalist Society and was given a standing ovation in another. Curious that truth telling is such a rare occurrence these days that it warrants gushing praise. As GOP strategist Stuart Stevens put it, “if Mike Pence deserves applause for telling the truth, I deserve applause for not robbing any of the banks I passed on my way to the market this morning.”
I think Ronna McDaniel is toast. I don’t think she’s going to be able to weather this particular storm, moreover, she is not competent generally speaking. The RNC chair is not a sinecure position in this day and age, as it has been in the past, and correct me if I’m wrong, that’s what McDaniel signed up for. She is not able to provide the RNC with the leadership it so desperately needs.
Here’s what the editorial board of the National Review has to say:
The Republican National Committee has voted to formally censure Liz Cheney and Adam Kinzinger for “actions in their positions as members of the January 6th Select Committee not befitting Republican members of Congress.” This is both morally repellent and politically self-destructive. […]
There is also no conceivable political benefit to the Republican Party or its members — other than Donald Trump — in looking to defend or minimize January 6 rather than simply move on. The American people are never itching to hear a defense of rioters. But the voters have also shown little interest in the Democrats’ obsession over the event. […]
But the RNC has issued a statement, purportedly in the name of the entire party, denouncing “a Democrat-led persecution of ordinary citizens engaged in legitimate political discourse” and “Democrat abuse of prosecutorial power for partisan purposes.” This will, quite predictably and not wholly unreasonably, be read as an argument that the action of the mob was nothing but “legitimate political discourse” and that nobody should be prosecuted. It will be used against hundreds of elected Republicans who were not consulted in its drafting and do not endorse its sentiment. To the extent that the party did not intend this as the meaning — and RNC chair Ronna McDaniel, already doing damage control, says it was not meant that way — its wording is political malpractice of the highest order coming from people whose entire job is politics.
A censure of this sort is also the wrong remedy, but one that has become all too common from political-party operatives attempting to vent their spleens at popularly elected public officials. In Arizona, for example, the Republican Party issued a bizarre censure last year of sitting governor Doug Ducey, former senator Jeff Flake, and the widow of former senator John McCain. Not to be outdone in self-destructiveness, Arizona Democrats censured sitting senator Kyrsten Sinema. The first rule of party operatives should be “do no harm.” Attacking a party’s own elected officials, through channels that reflect neither the voters nor the people they elect, violates every rule of political sense.
Good point on the dubious benefits of either political party censuring a sitting elected official.
As stated yesterday, I don’t see McDaniel remaining in her position. We’ll see. Maybe this will blow over. But the buzz phrase “legitimate political discourse” is now with us and those words don’t have the plain meaning that they did a mere 48 hours ago. Those words are now a term of art meaning abject hypocrisy. This is Ronna McDaniel’s alternative facts moment.
Who would replace her? I can’t think of any rethug political operative that could garner enough support to unseat her. The Mango Messiah has seeded most, if not all, state parties w/his toadies and they are not going to accept anyone w/o TFG’s imprimatur.
On the plus side, this censure exists and therefore should be used in as many Democratic races as possible. In fact, Liz Cheney tweeted a video of the violence of J6 w/ words to the effect that this is what the RNC considers “legitimate political discourse.” The ads literally write themselves.
Where’s Dick Shawn prancing around, like a hippy on acid, singing, ” springtime for Hitler in germany”?
Not capitalizing on family connections to get a job (either the big shot deciding to intervene on their own, or supporting someone who has named dropped them) in politics is new or even unusual but let’s not forget the part of her name McDaniel stopped using when she got her RNC gig. The Romney part.
I’d imagine at first Mittens himself was fine with her getting that job and even perhaps putting in a good word for her. Quietly of course, as his own position and legacy in the GOP is mixed. What I find interesting is his support for her as this was all gearing up and then actually happened was at best lukewarm. More like room temperature actually. Family being family I guess he couldn’t toss her under the bus but I’ll bet he wanted to.
You’re correct about her being way the hell out of her league. That would probably have been the case even before Trump’s takeover of the GOP. I also think you could well be correct that her days are numbered and we’ll get the “It’s been an honor to have served” speech complete with the wanting to spend more time with my family and asking for privacy in the weeks and months ahead boilerplate. That begs the question of who will take her place and though she’s not up to the job I shudder at the thought of who might wind up in that job. Bannon is making too much money spouting his bullshit and of course would spend more time getting peppered with questions about his new legal troubles which are front and center with the Jan. 6 investigation. His lawyers would freak out at the potential legal exposure, and the worse things get for him the more actual danger they and their families would be in for not keeping his troubles at bay. KellyAnne Conway has her own problems too. I for one find it difficult to believe she knew NOTHING about the events that led up to Jan. 6 even if her consulting was done on the sly with hubby George’s knowledge. But her personal life became such a public mess and she already was so well off financially I think she really did want to step away from Team Trump. Becoming RNC Chair would land her right back in the fake gold toilet at Trump World and I truly doubt she wants that as she still hasn’t (and never will) scrub away the Trump shit (and it’s stench) that seeped into her through he skin having been immersed in it for so long. Stephen Miller? Maybe. I’m surprised to not see his name popping up regularly as more is learned about Jan. 6. He’s GOT to know stuff! Is it possible that he’s quietly offered up stuff, is actually cooperating to some degree to save his own worthless ass and it’s somehow been kept totally quiet?
Anyway, McDaniel isn’t up to her job and has at times proved it by saying stupid stuff and more importantly not putting enough emphasis on the needs of the GOP as a whole by focusing on keeping Trump happy, but she’s relatively low key. And politically incompetent. Imagine someone really enthralled with Trump with actual, rock solid political chops who is also a loudmouth that can dominate news cycles at least now and then. (Dominate in a bad or even destructive way) I’m not looking forward to see who, or perhaps more accurately what comes next.
You nailed it, the only mouthpieces Trump ever had were a freaky bunch, the beauty of one, McEnannnnnny was a gift to those that were so tired of watching the old song and dance team with Trumpytist-obvious leanings, so, with the sound off on the tube she was pretty good that way … Miller was a direct descendent of Goebbels, well, looked exactly like him, and in many ways worked towards the same results with Trump …
If push comes to shove, I’m wondering what the next McConnell move will be … His position has eroded so much with all the GOP unity turning to an insane whirlpool of stupidity, taking back those words of a calm group of people being abused by Democrats and a couple of their own members in the committee being censored …
It, the GOP, has finally reached the back end of their box canyon Trump lead them into … hang tight, the eruption in Mar-o-golf and the regulars in the sacred halls of Senate office spaces may just shake the GOP down to the dust they deserve … Over the last few years, the intelligence quota in the GOP has reached lows never seen before …
The only problem with the (conservative) National Review’s blatant attempt at both-siderism is that the Arizona GOPers issued their censures because the officials involved refused to go along with an obvious attempt to undo democracy. Arizona Democrats censured Sinema because she was going against what (I’m guessing) most Arizona voters had elected her to do and given the fact that Sinema had moved to the Democratic Party in the first place from the GREEN PARTY (!), her alliance with Manchin to block Biden and the Democratic Party’s agenda makes absolutely NO sense, and most certainly deserved censure. I can imagine Arizona’s Dems might have been much more lenient if Sinema had moved to the Democratic Party from the GOP because she would’ve have some moderately conservative bona fides established but what she did was utterly inexcusable. But, it’s par for the course for right-wing media, across the board, to take the thoroughly deserved censure of Sinema and compare it to the GOP censures that were motivated solely to protect Trump and his pwecious fee-fees. It’s amazing how the National Review can do right AND do wrong in the course of a single sentence.
I think the Comanches had it right.Tie them to a pole & skin them alive. Bet the truth comes spilling out. According to legends, it didn’t work with native Americans, especially the warring tribes. They saw it as a badge of honor/courage to remain silent. White people gave a very human performance. Pampered asshats would be fun to watch since they only act tough when they have the weapons & others don’t. Look how they’ve whined & folded like cheap tents just over a little jail time. Snowflakes.