To Remain a Democracy, We Must Eradicate the Republican Party (1/15/21)
Republican Edmund Davis was Governor of Texas 1870–1874. Although decisively defeated, Davis refused to concede. He barricaded himself in the state capitol and had to be removed by force. Texas would not elect another Republican Governor for another 104 years!
Similarly, we have an unhinged Republican president denying his undisputed loss, unwilling to concede, even after his failed attempted coup and second impeachment. Our health, economy, environment, institutions and global credibility are in shambles. Unlike 9/11, this was not a foreign attack; this was a GOP insider job. The current Republican Party poses a greater existential threat to America than Russia, Iran, North Korea, China, the coronavirus, or climate change.If we wish to remain a country of laws, we must send the GOP on a long soul-searching hiatus.
The GOP once stood for more than white supremacy and corruption. No longer. The party has veered so far to the right, it is now the Fascist Party of America in all but name. Their anti-democratic tactics are virulent: illegal gerrymandering; shameless voter suppression; systemic racial oppression; gutting the Voter Rights Act; peddling lies and conspiracy theories; climate-change denial; and inciting a violent insurrection to steal an election. And still, most Republicans are standing by Trump. ANYTHING to cling to power. It’s time we all stopped pretending Republicans act in accordance with any family values, love of country, moral compass or even the rule of law. The sole principles guiding today’s GOP are greed, racism, and sheer panic over the demographic shift that will make whites a minority by 2045.
Additionally, the core issues for which the party stands are increasingly irrelevant. The idea that federal government is undesirable has been put to the test, and failed. We’ve learned from coronavirus that competent, well-funded central government is crucial to dealing with public health crises! We’re also witnessing the problem with tethering Americans’ health insurance to employment. Thousands of Americans endured the double-whammy of losing their health insurance upon losing their jobs. The covid manslaughter has not deterred Republicans from continuing to pursue ripping away people’s Affordable Care. One of the cruelest aspects is Texas’ refusal to accept the free, federally-funded Medicaid Expansion; obviously they consider low-income Texans disposable.
Folks, the days of the Wild West are over. The romanticized notion of “pull yourself up by the bootstraps” is extremely harmful. Do we really want to dispense with social security, FEMA, the post office, interstate highways, Medicare, public education, college loans, PBS, food stamps, food water & air oversight, or consumer and FDIC protections? Republicans have tried hard to eliminate these protections, which would leave millions of Americans to fend for themselves.
Let’s also drop the pretense that Republicans give a damn about deficits. The party of fiscal conservatism becomes incensed about deficits when it comes to helping struggling Americans … but give them Trump’s $1.5 Trillion tax cut, no problem there! Since 1980, the deficit has consistently grown under Republican presidents & decreased under Democrat ones.
30% of Republicans are single-issue voters on abortion. These voters are mistaken! The data is clear: The number ofabortions regularly decreases substantially when there’s a Democrat in the White House (abortions dropped a whopping 24% under Obama), while remaining virtually stagnant under Republicans. Outlawing abortions simply does not work — like in The Prohibition, it just drives folks underground. The Democrats’ approach, on the otherhand, is proven effective: providing comprehensive health care for women, including contraception, renders abortions unnecessary.
I’m not saying that every Republican politician is bad. But the well from which they drink is malignantly, treacherously poisoned. They entire party must be purged. We have seen how fragile our democracy is, we came within a hair of losing it! We must vote every single Republican out of office. Get involved! Consider joining Beto’s Powered by People organization. He’s working tirelessly to flip TX Blue. Let’s help him become the Stacy Abrams of Texas!!
