GOP works to weaken America
There is a major political story that continues to be recycled almost every week nowadays.
The story goes like this: First, Donald Trump says or does something outrageous. Second, political reporters ask Republicans what their reaction is to whatever Trump did. Third, Republicans make an excuse for the behavior or say they were not aware of the behavior and have no comment. Last, political pundits wring their hands and wonder why Republicans will not say anything to rebuke Trump.
The reason often given as to why GOP members will not criticize Trump is because they are afraid of what Trump might tweet about them or say about them in a rally. There is no doubt that fear of what Trump may say is a huge motivating factor in why no Republican will dare say a bad word about him.
But I suggest there is a second reason that is more craven and more devious as to why Republicans say very little that is noteworthy anymore. Republicans do not want to talk about anything they are trying to do in Congress because what they are doing is overwhelming unpopular.
A very strong majority of today’s Republicans in Congress want government to fail. They want to squeeze government dry. They want most government systems and programs to weaken and break. They want to do this so they can then tell everyone that government is broken beyond repair and that government is not the correct solution to our problems. Then, they can continue to squeeze, cut and defund it further until most of the whole thing collapses.
Stop and think about this for a moment and let this sink into your brain. A major political party inside the United States is actively trying to weaken and harm the nation. They do not want to make America great. They want to make America fail.
As such, it is beneficial to them that so much attention is focused on the circus of Trump. The president takes up so much oxygen and so much ink that the GOP can work relatively quietly to gum up Congress and slowly dismantle as much of the systems, processes and procedures that have been taken for granted and form the foundation of our system for decades.
Think about what the GOP has done and said out in the open the past couple of years. They have repeatedly tried to dismantle health care. They are currently trying to destroy the U.S. Postal Service. They are turning a blind eye to the demands of the public for action on gun control and police reform. They have refused to spend money on infrastructure. They support making radical changes to Medicare and Medicaid. They actively support efforts to dramatically change Social Security. And this is what they are openly doing in public. More is being done behind the scenes and away from the cameras.
Given all of this I would hope Democrats would be shouting from the rooftops about the GOP’s efforts. But the Democrats have largely been silent about these attacks on important bedrocks of society. Democrats, too, fall victim to the circus of Trump. They have been so consumed about trying to catalog and reprimand all of Trump’s misdeeds and transgressions they lose sight of the importance of drawing the clearest distinction possible between themselves and the GOP.
It is often said by many in the general public there is not any difference between the two parties. That has always rubbed me the wrong way and struck me as lazy. But that sentiment has never been more untrue than it is now. The choice is clearer than it has been in a long, long time.
If you believe that government has a role to play in our lives, vote Democrat. If you believe that it is possible for government to help people, vote Democrat. If you believe it is possible for government to build roads, bridges and other resources for all Americans, vote Democrat. If you believe in the U.S. Postal Service, vote Democrat. If you believe in the rule of law, vote Democrat. If you believe there should not be rules for the wealthy and separate rules for everyone else, vote Democrat. If you believe in making America normal again, vote Democrat.