There’s partisanship and there’s political philosophy.
As MAGA has demonstrated, partisanship– party loyalty– is based upon grievance and identity. As the Republican Party has steadily jettisoned the political beliefs that had long been central to it– retreating to the racism, misogyny and White Christian Nationalism that had once been kept on the party’s fringes– those whose allegiance was based on grievance stayed. Those who had been Republicans because they shared the philosophy that the party had espoused, however, left.
A number of those who left became “Never Trumpers,” and one of those was Stuart Stevens, a longtime Republican strategist on multiple campaigns, including George Romney’s presidential run. Stevens has written several books, including two written after he left the GOP: “It Was All a Lie: How the Republican Party Became Donald Trump,” and “The Conspiracy to End America: Five Ways My Old Party Is Driving Democracy to Autocracy.”
Stevens and several other Never Trumpers formed The Lincoln Project, which focuses on criticising Trump and supporting Democrats. The Lincoln Project publishes Lincoln Square, a digital newsletter from which I often quote, and in a recent edition, Stevens urges Democrats to stop being polite and instead to “go nuclear.”
Stevens insists that even a Democratic takeover of Congress will not lead to a restoration of “what was.” As he points out, that was essentially what Biden did, by restoring “normal” governance after Trump’s first term. Biden pledged to fight as hard for those who didn’t support him as for those who did, and as Stevens points out, “MAGA responded by screaming, ‘Fuck you. We don’t want your help.’ Or as the intellectuals of MAGA put it, ‘Let’s go, Brandon.'”
Stevens spends several paragraphs describing how Biden delivered for Red State America–more than any president in modern history. “How were Democrats rewarded? Harris received over 6 million votes fewer votes than Biden.”
So–we live in an unprecedented time, and Stevens quotes Jonathan Last: “We must stop viewing political life through the lens of American politics as we have known it and adopt the viewpoint of dissident movements in autocratic states.”
What would that entail? Assuming a Blue wave this year that puts Democrats in charge of Congress, Stevens has a list.
The first day Democrats are in power, they should vote to nationalize Starlink and SpaceX under the Defense Production Act. Republicans use the assertion that we’re in a state of war to justify Stephen Miller acting out his immigration snuff film fantasies. Accept their wartime premise and act accordingly. Not sure there is enough ketamine in the world to get Elon through those votes.
Other steps?
Vote to cut off all funding for the executive branch.
Defund ICE and reallocate the funds to state block grants for law enforcement.
Pass the Ultra-Millionaire Tax Act, first introduced in 2021, calling for a 2% annual tax on net worth between $50 million and $1 billion and a 3% on net worth over $1 billion–and modify the original bill so that 20% of the total revenue is allocated to an untouchable Social Security fund.
Vote to make all stock trading by members of Congress illegal.
Require the president, vice president, members of Congress, and Cabinet secretaries to release 10 years of tax returns.
Vote to erect a statue in the Capitol’s National Sanctuary Hall commemorating the brave law enforcement officers who defended the Capitol from a Trump-inspired mob.
Vote to require Ghislaine Maxwell to be moved from her yoga class, Club Fed, back to a real prison.
Vote to launch an investigation into the possible criminal activity of DOGE with a budget sufficient to hire as many outside investigators and lawyers as needed.
Congressman Jamie Raskin should announce a presidential corruption hearing with an unlimited time frame.
There’s a lot more, and it’s all worth reading, if only for the excellent snark. But the central message is: stop being the nice guys.
Stop being nice and polite. Anybody who votes to confirm the town drunk as secretary of defense is not a patriot. Say it. Senator John Thune, you have betrayed your country. You are not a patriot. JD Vance is married to a woman who is a US citizen, as a result of the 14th Amendment, which Vance opposes. Who attacks the legitimacy of his own family? Call it out. What’s wrong with this guy? It’s not that RFK Jr. was a long-time heroin junkie. The problem is that he has said heroin worked for him, and he’d still be using it if it still worked. He’s a broken, deeply disturbed man who deserves pity but no respect. He’s a nut. Call Tulsi Gabbard a functioning agent of the Russian Federation. Don’t weasel-word your way to invisibility.
Hard to disagree…
I’ve been waiting for the Democrats to start playing hardball. Go for it, Dems!
“Stevens insists that even a Democratic takeover of Congress will not lead to a restoration of “what was.” As he points out, that was essentially what Biden did, by restoring “normal” governance after Trump’s first term.”
President Joe Biden did not get to complete his campaign agenda or undo more of the Trump damage due to the disloyalty of the Democratic party split which did not put its full support behind Vice President Kamala Harris’s campaign. They then blamed her lack of qualifications and her campaigning for losing the election they gave to Trump by disgusting many Democratic voters who did not vote.
Mitch McConnell was allowed for decades by Republican and Democratic Senators alike to refuse to perform his required duties and responsibilities by not holding hearings on Democratic Judicial nominees which led to the current MAGA majority of federal courts and the Supreme Court which turned Trump’s Fascism loose on this nation and continues protecting him in all actions. We are now dealing with both House and Senate who have turned their backs on the Constitution which placed them in the position of protecting all Americans from Dictatorship and Fascism which rules today. What is Trump’s kill rate domestically and globally with no end in sight. Our NATO allies have stated from Trump’s beginning that they will not support his wars; domestically the polls cannot be trusted to reflect the actual count of Americans fully against our current leadership with no end in sight.
IF, IF Democrats win the November elections, either House or Senate or both, the Supreme Court is still supporting Donald Trump and protecting him in all decisions and actions.
We are no longer living in the United States of America but are somewhere in limbo and not trusted by most American citizens or our former Allies and Neutral nations who are being attacked by Iran in retaliation for Trump’s war on Iran. As Jan stated; we have all been waiting for Democrats to “play hardball”; it looks to me as if the game is over.
“Yes!” to Stuart Stevens!
And, once again, Mitch McConnell was instrumental in bringing us to this awful place, and this ought to be loudly proclaimed. Would it hurt the old man’s feelings? Does he have any? I’m as old as he, in any case, and if, in some situation I blow it, I need to know it.