There seems to be a contest among Republican officeholders nationwide to see who can be the most fawning Trump toady… by demanding a recount, audit, or decertification of the 2020 election results.
Why?
Because ex-President Trump declared, in advance of the 2020 election (and the 2016 election, which he won, by the way) that the “election is rigged”. Thus, when Trump lost the 2020 election by 7 million votes nationwide, there “had to be” widespread illegal voting and malfeasance by elections officials. It had to have happened. Period.
If Trump said it, therefore it is true, say the cultists and elected bootlickers.
Thus, Republican Party officeholders in many “Red” States have demanded investigations into the election. In every case thus far, no significant error or illegality has been discovered even in audits that were paid for by the G.O.P. Every single court case has found the “election fraud” claim to be without merit. Trump’s own Attorney General Bill Barr declared the election fair and square. Mitch McConnell, the Senate Minority Leader and most powerful Republican elected official in the United States, recognizes Joe Biden as the legitimately-elected President.
This has not stopped Donald Trump from continuing to publicly assert that the election was tainted and that he actually won re-election. (It was a “hoax”, he said, just like Covid-19.)
No doubt to show fealty to the ex-President, and curry favor with him in the 2022 and 2024 elections, a substantial portion of G.O.P. officeholders in State and Federal positions continue to parrot the Trump mantra: the election was fraudulent. Many Senators and Congressmen, when asked by reporters, refuse to publicly admit that Joe Biden won the election and continue to demand measure to tighten election security. In other words, fix something that doesn’t need fixing.
Haven’t we had enough of this foolishness? Evidently not.
There was an editorial the other day in the Arizona Republic, the largest daily newspaper in the State of Arizona, that bears repeating.
In it the Editor lays out the obvious: If you are one of the Republicans officials who was elected or re-elected in 2020, and you believe that there was widespread voter fraud in the election, why have you not yet resigned? A person of good conscience and sound morals would not accept victory in a tainted election, right? If you actually believe that the election was fraudulent (as you publicly say you do), then that means your election was illegitimate.
The editorial goes on to say that not a single Republican who has spread conspiracy theories and made outlandish pronouncements of voter fraud without providing verifiable evidence has resigned. In addition, “none of those who were elected have demanded that their results be audited.”
This pretty much explains the reality that all Americans, despite their political party affiliations, know to be true: the election was legitimate. The other indisputable truth: Trump is just being Trump, trying to keep attention focused on himself. It’s political theater, plain and simple.
The shame is that powerful elected officials, State and Federal, continue to cower before him and kiss his ring so that they will get his endorsement and receive campaign funding from his huge PAC in the next election.
Speaking of dishonorable elected officials, how about the three U.S. Congressmen who voted against a bill to make lynching a Federal hate crime? “Lynching”, if you didn’t know already, happens when a group of racists (usually in the South) hangs a person (usually an African American) to death for being Black. This is a no-brainer, right? Evidently the rest of Congress thought so: the bill passed 422 to 3. The proponents of lynching included Congressman Roy (R-Tx), Congressman Massie (R-Ky), and Congressman Clyde (R-Ga), all God-fearing, Bible Belt Republicans. As the Good Book says, “Do unto others…”
The dishonorable Congressman Massie is on a roll this week. A House Resolution was introduced expressing support of the sovereign nation of Ukraine, which was recently invaded by Russia. The Resolution was approved, 426 votes to 3. The three Congressmen who indicated support for the invading Russians included Gosar (R-Az), Rosendale (R-Mt), and, of course, Massie (R-Ky).
Representative Adam Kinsinger (R-Ill) stated that it was “unreal” that three fellow Republicans voted against the resolution.
Really? Is anything “unreal” anymore in American politics?
Maybe the three Congressmen, who are running for reelection, heard Trump’s footsteps. The ex-President is a buddy of Russian President Putin, and recently called him a “genius” for invading Ukraine.
Deeper we go into the disgusting rabbit hole…