Rubble Bounced

My old friend and radio colleague Ed Morrisey is one of more than a few Republicans who, disgusted by (obviously) the riots, but  moreso by the usurpation of the state control of elections and Electors that happened in Congress last week (the real “coup attempt”, and one of the  most self-destructive power grabs in my memory), is leaving the GOP.

Read the whole thing at your leisure.  Here’s the conclusion

The caveat of “I don’t support violence in any way” is meaningless — a dodge around the betrayal of the principles on which this party stood at one time. This is nothing more than an endorsement of brute-force majoritarianism at best, and at worst an explicit endorsement of mob rule. In fact, it seems like a celebration of mob rule, one cheered on by Donald Trump’s closest formal adviser in the White House.

Before this, questions had already arisen as to how republicanism could coexist with populism. This goes waaay beyond that question. The disgrace in Congress, even apart from the mobs, severed the connection between Republicans and republicanism in any meaningful American sense. They aren’t republicans now, but instead a radical form of small-D democrats whose only aim is gin up outrage in sufficient quantities to “own the libs.” That’s not just on Donald Trump; it’s now on the entire party and its leadership.

That’s their choice; my choice is very clear. I don’t choose to participate in such a nihilistic political party. I’ll stand on my own as an independent, ready to vote for responsible conservatives but under no obligation to vote for or support anyone else. Until the GOP comes to its senses and returns to true republican and federal principles, I will not be back.

Speaking for myself?  I’m not going to pretend that my party affiliation matters for much of anything to anyone.  I stopped donating money to non-conservative candidates years ago, after the party’s establishment slandered the Tea Party away from its place at the table.  I stopped being an activist two years ago – not “over Trump” per se (again, I’m not of the opinion that my choices of affiliations, or activism, matter in the great scheme of things all that much).

For what it’s worth?   I intend to fight to re-save the soul of the GOP.   There is a legacy worth saving, and passing on to people who haven’t seen much evidence of it in the past decade.

But it ain’t gonna be easy.

52 thoughts on “Rubble Bounced

  1. If Ed truly opposes brute-force majoritarianism, he’s gonna be awfully busy these next few years. He can issue all the principled statements he wants, but he’ll be up against the wall anyway. I’m disappointed, but not surprised.

  2. I’ve never been a Republican. I am, however, a Conservative, and I am unapologetically patriotic.

    I frequently donate to Conservatives, but I have never given any money to the Republican Party.

    I detested John McCain, and feel the same way about Mittens Romney. I could go on, but you get the picture.

    I’ll be 75 years old this year, with a long history of Conservatism.

  3. The question that should be asked of people who would rather lose honestly than cheat in a dishonest game is “tell me again why you are playing the game?”
    I have always been registered as an independent & have considered myself an independent conservative. In practice I have voted GOP or not voted at all.
    I never had any faith in the Republican party to begin with.
    Morrisey is avoiding the difficult questions about what his principled conservatism looks like. Pro or anti immigration? Pro or anti free trade?
    It is difficult to see how giving international media and tech corporations control over speech serves republican virtues.

  4. For me there are two issues with which to wrestle. First, how did we get here? Do I blame the Dems thirst for absolute power and adoption of a naked collectivist agenda (let’s call it for what it is: communist) for the rise of Trump and the insanity on display at the Capitol? Trump happened because of a vacuum in conservative leadership. Second, what do we do now? Someone needs to take the reins and do everything legally possible to thwart the further transformation of American government into a majoritarian madhouse that will erode what remains of a previously functional Federalist system. The Dems predilection for projection tells me that the resulting collusion between Corporatism and confiscatory government will produce Fascism, the American version. Just what they accuse Trump of promoting.

  5. D,

    He can issue all the principled statements he wants, but he’ll be up against the wall anyway.

    I don’t disagree. It’s one reason I cut my sashay into the Libertarian Party off at four years; feeling good about your relentless pursuit of principle doesn’t move any needles that matter.

    That’s why I’m not stomping off in a huff over Trump and his “ism”. My affiliation, my principles, my statements, don’t mean diddly in the great scheme of things.

    Doing my bit to pull the needle in the right direction re the future of Western CIvilization? That matters.

    And as imperfect as the GOP is (and has become), it’s still the only game in town. If we can keep it.

  6. I intend to fight to re-save the soul of the GOP.

    And what is the soul of the GOP, Mitch? Arne Carlson was a “GOP stalwart”, he also gave the reprobates everything and anything they wanted. They love him for it; just ask them.

    Is Mitt Romney the soul? Mitt is most certainly on Pelosi’s Christmas card list (she’s Catholic, ya know).

    Did John McCain take the GOP’s soul to heaven with him? If he did, the reprobates wont be happy…they’re gonna need that kind of soul next time a close vote comes along and they need a big thumbs down.

    Trump isn’t a Republican. He’s not a reprobate either. He’s a guy who made millions greasing their skids; he knows what makes them tick and knows how to tick them off. He scared the shit out of all of them, because his bread isn’t buttered with tax dollars; he doesn’t need or want a career in public office.

    We elected Trump to drain the swamp; to turn the card table over. He definitely succeeded in the latter, but he failed to appreciate the depth of the swamp. Trump was undermined from day 1 by both the Reprobate party and the GOP. The leaks started the minute he put his boat in the water, and never stopped. The sons-a-bitches are *still* leaking to the media slobs.

    Neither party really gives a shit about you and me. I never expected the GOP to do anything *for* me, all I ever wanted was for them not to do anything *to* me…that’s the reprobates game.

    But now, we see who the so-called conservative champions really are; pathetic eunuchs who do what ever is necessary to keep their spot on the couch.

    So you faithful “conservatives” keep the faith…bring back the good ol’ GOP. Millions of real Americans are through playing that game, though. Our job is to crush the people that are tearing America out by the roots; and there’s some on both sides of the isle.

  7. Do tell Mitch.  You think… THE TRUMP/GOP GAMBIT…. to usurp state control of elections and Electors in Congress last week was the real “coup attempt”, and one of the  most self-destructive power grabs in your memory.

    Sounds pretty cucky Mitch.

  8. The Democrats have figured out that a state’s electors choose the president.
    But the big cities within a state often control the state’s electors.
    Here is the county-by-county breakdown of Wisconsin’s presidential vote: https://www.politico.com/2020-election/results/wisconsin/
    Or check out Pennsylvania: https://www.politico.com/2020-election/results/pennsylvania/
    Until, oh, about five minutes ago, it was common knowledge among Republicans (and a few honest Democrats), that big city politics are hopelessly corrupt. They are effectively one-party states with the big shots being selected behind closed doors or in rigged primaries. If needed, votes can be harvested to put the chosen candidate over the top.
    So Morrisey’s essay needs to be read in the context, not just of state’s rights, but the political dominance of many states by corrupt Democrat machines in that state’s big cities.

  9. And what is the soul of the GOP, Mitch?

    Madison, Coolidge, Goldwater, Reagan.

    The things the Tea Party stood for.

    Conservatism and all the things that make Western Civilization worth preserving.

  10. I’m with Pete. At this point, on a national level, Republicans are the Washington Generals. They are there to get beat up. But, they get paid still. Or, perhaps call it the Uniparty.

    Why should I help save an organization fine with selling off our freedom? Giving billions to other countries and $600 for me. I’m going to support whomever comes ready to fight back for me and mine.

  11. Douglas Murray was on the Triggernometry podcast over the weekend.
    The advice he gave Americans, conservatives and liberals both, was “don’t let the events of January 6th drive you crazy.”
    Morrisey has, I think, been driven crazy.
    Trump was the same person on January 5th that he was on January 7th.
    Keep in mind that if not for the corona virus, Trump would have been re-elected, probably by a landslide. As it was Trump received over 74,000,000 votes. That is the most GOP votes in presidential history, nine million more than Obama received in 2012, and eleven million more votes than Trump got in 2016.

  12. Ed says (I paraphrase) because of the Coup de Tard he’s not going to identify himself as Republican and not donate to them and not cheerlead for them so much, but may continue to vote for them.  And you guys, including Mitch, ponder well is that really a big deal if one continues to vote Republican…

    That’s not that big a deal, that’s true.  But that’s a lesser question than the real one (that Ed avoids in favor of this easier question, really).  The real question is whether one is to be aligned with a movement energy that thinks Donald Trump is a wonderful, uber masculine President and the election results were fraudulent and that it was OK to mob takeover the capital to thwart the constitutional exercise to put in place a proper and rightful successor and the QAnon and the memes and the owning the libs and the Parler and all this absurd stuff, great and small.

  13. The real question is whether one is to be aligned with a movement energy that thinks Donald Trump is a wonderful, uber masculine President and the election results were fraudulent and that it was OK to mob takeover the capital to thwart the constitutional exercise to put in place a proper and rightful successor and the QAnon and the memes and the owning the libs and the Parler and all this absurd stuff, great and small.
    I know of no such movement.
    Looks like you are one of the people who has been driven crazy, Juhn Kraephammer.

  14. Except for the delusional few here at SiTD. Is there any doubt that Trump and a number of members of Congress incited the violent insurrection attempt on Jan. 6?

    They all have violated their oaths of office and are unfit to serve. Now, we are facing violent protests at state Capitols throughout the country by armed mobs of people fed a steady diet of lies and conspiracy theories. Where are the elected Republican members of Congress who believe in our democracy and are willing to hold the President and their colleagues accountable? So far it is pitifully few.

  15. From a previous thread:

    “Emery, you must have missed my post from 12:17 yesterday (thanks to moderation). Can you identify the parts of the speech where the President incited the mob?”

    Apparently to Emery, repeating what he’s already said often enough is “proof” enough for him.

  16. No respecters of property the Emery’s(and adjunct toady Kraephamer) are sycophant apologists devoted to deflecting, defending, denying, and dissembling on behalf of serial murderers (lets name them; Cuomo, deBlasio, Whitmer, Lightfoot, Walz, Malcom, Inslee, Newsom, Pelosi, Schumer, and Harris) whom they knowingly aid and abet in their crimes.

    This blog is their platform

  17. 👆These guys believe in the sanctity of private property — until they’re on private property.

  18. Emery
    if you are referring to the proven public behavior of Cuomo, deBlasio, Whitmer, Lightfoot, Walz, Malcom, Frey, Inslee, Newsom, Pelosi, Schumer, Harris, et al over the last 12 months then I agree wholeheartedly with your assessment.

  19. MO, you’re being willfully blind.

    You’re an intelligent person here, and a reasonably sensible person here.  You already said you didn’t think the capital siege was justified (… though you understood how we got here and that it was inevitable, yada yada).  At that point you’re making a qualitative evaluation of the Republican / conservative movement and the energies that drive it, and that evaluation has to align with mine.

    A person like me being driven “crazy”…. We’re talking about what standard people hold things to such that they affiliate with them.  And Republicanism as DJT / MAGA doesn’t meet a  high enough standard for me.  I’m happy to be in that camp with the National Review people, and French, etc.  You’re not riling me by keep bringing this up as if it’s supposed to be an insult.

    As for the rogue’s gallery of MAGA people, there’s a taxonomy with a few types, and it applies to this blog’s commenters.

    The smart, but psychologically afflicted or character deficient – Swiftee
    The guys with no great brainpower who parrot a lot of the stuff – The Doakes of the world
    The guys who justify some sort of Machiavellianism for pursuit of “conservative” victories – Maybe you’re in there, a little
    But a lot of guys who could discern a different reality but are nursing their own cultural identity and / or nurse some grudge against some conception of the left, and cant get past their reflexes for shitposting and stupid retorts they’ve developed in the age of the internet the last 10 years.  That’s you and Berg.

    Berg and Morrisey literally started in the same primordial mojo of blog writers, are politically much the same, and have equivalent writing skills.  One is more consequential than the other because of mentality and temperament, and that’s what this whole thing is about..

  20. ^ ah, Kraephammer shows up to remind us of his intellectual and moral superiority. Wow talk about towering self-regard! —down boy you’re about to do a Jeffery Tobin!

  21. Pig, my relative towering self regard has nothing to do with my evaluation of me, its got to do with my evaluation of you.

  22. “my relative towering self regard has nothing to do with my evaluation of me, its got to do with my evaluation of you.”

    oh, a budding wordsmith, how very precious!

    but it does not abrogate your culpability as an bootlicking apologist for mass murderers and their “progressive” ideology.

  23. “It’s too divisive for Trump to face consequences for inciting an attempted coup” is why parody is dead.

    We are getting closer and closer to The Onion Headlines reflecting reality, stuff like: “Suspects charged with conspiracy to commit violent acts released due to fear of offending those contemplating conspiracy to commit violent acts”.

  24. The divide between Republican conspiracy theorists and traditional Republican conservatives may too far.

    What do Republicans of either kind want? That’s what I fail to understand.

    If you asked them what they wanted the country to look like twenty years from now, what would they say?

    The violent fantasists who want more of the chaos and dysfunction of the last four years—what’s the goal? What will the US look like when you achieve it?

    The traditional conservatives who get to write Blogs or the politicians who find just enough courage not to endorse insurrection—what’s their vision for the country? What for them would signal that the US is soaring into the realities of the future instead of being dragged kicking and screaming?

    In 2019, I passed through Sinagpore’s Changi Airport. It is one of the most visionary but functional human-built places on earth. A couple of days ago, I heard the Saudis are going to fund a new city. Here in the US, we can’t figure out how to distribute and administer vaccines as efficiently as we did 60 years ago when we fought polio—now we’re too afraid of “socialism” to plan, coordinate, and carry out any large-scale effort.

    Until Republicans want to build things and to make new things happen in a visionary way that expresses aspirational values for all Americans and indeed the world, then they will be nothing but a lugubrious drag on the rest of us.

  25. Close enough to not quibble that much Joe. Yeah, you’re obtuse. You think Donald Trump won the election. You’re dumb. You’re an idiot.

  26. And there it is again, the nine-year-old girl comes out sneering.

    In logical terms, Ad Hominum.

    It’s enough to make a thinking man despair.

  27. And there it is again, the nine-year-old girl comes out sneering.

    It don’t take much to get Faphammer’s sundress billowing, does it JD? He’s a legend in his own mind, and when the discussion exceeds his meagre ability to respond, he just lets his lizard brain take the mic.

    Raging Dunning Kruger battling with the unconscious suspicion cognitive deficiency is at play…it’s “you’re a doody head” time.

    It’s the archetype of many reprobates floating around out here. Too many, tbh

  28. “Close enough to not quibble that much Joe. Yeah, you’re obtuse. You think Donald Trump won the election. You’re dumb. You’re an idiot.”

    and there it is! John Kraephammer goes for the full Jeffery Toobin! Dear god i’m glad these aren’t video posts.

  29. Watch closely, everybody, to see how it’s done:

    An election is announced.
    Voters cast ballots, in person and by mail.
    Election observers gather to watch the counting process, to ensure it’s fair.
    Election officials order election observers out of the counting room.
    Election officials put cardboard over the windows so observers can’t see in.
    Election officials secretly count the ballots by machine and announce a result.
    The ‘losing’ candidate doubts the result.
    The ‘losing’ candidate requests a manual recount with ballots individually verified.
    Election officials run the same ballots through the same black box again.
    The ‘losing’ candidate requests access to the software to verify the result.
    Election officials wipe the software logs.
    The ‘losing’ candidate requests access to the paper ballots to verify their validity.
    Election officials shred the paper ballots.
    Election officials certify the machine result and send it to Washington, DC
    The legislature de-certifies the machine result and sends its own result to DC.
    Bureaucrats in the National Archives decide to accept only the machine results.
    Congress accepts the machine results.
    Millions of Americans doubt the machine results, suspecting the ‘losing’ candate actually won the election but his victory was stolen from him by election fraud.

    John K. declares all those people are obtuse, they’re dumb, they’re idiots.

    See? It’s not so hard. Now you try.

  30. So again, Emery, the words Trump used incite a riot were……..what? Good luck!
    Emery has moved on from not being to say what Trump should have done with Covid to….not being able to tell us the words Trump used on Jan. 6th. More assertions without evidence

  31. We could argue it point by point “Joe Doakes”, but I’d provide analysis and evidence, and you’d provide none, and you wouldn’t move from this idiocy that Trump won.

    Me calling you dumb without belaboring the argument isn’t “ad hominum”. Its just a time saver.

  32. @JD — So the voters can’t be trusted, the poll workers can’t be trusted, the voting machines can’t be trusted, the media can’t be trusted, the Attorney General can’t be trusted, the DOJ can’t be trusted, the people in charge of election security can’t be trusted, the lower courts can’t be trusted, the appellate courts can’t be trusted, the state Supreme Courts can’t be trusted, the US Supreme Court can’t be trusted, and the FBI can’t be trusted .

    But Donald Trump can be trusted.

    If you buy this, you just might be in a cult.

  33. Some of the voters can be trusted. Some voters – the ones who cast ballots in the name of long-dead people – cannot be trusted.

    Voting machines are black boxes that give different results depending on which software update is used. As recently as December 2019, Senator Klobuchar warned Dominion voting machines were “a threat to the integrity of our elections.” The black boxes cannot be trusted; particularly when the machine results cannot be verified because the logs were wiped and the ballots were shredded.

    The media (both legacy media and social media) can’t be trusted to report news which contradicts their political preference – see, for instance, the recent mad rush to deplatform the President and various conservative websites.

    The courts can’t be trusted to rule on evidence which those same courts refused to consider, prefering instead to block access to the judicial system under the rubrics of ‘standing’ and ‘laches.’

    The FBI definitely can’t be trusted, which has been a problem as far back as Ruby Ridge. More recently, the FBI spied on a presidential campaign, lied to the FISA court, entrapped an incoming administration official, and blithely ignored mishandling of classified documents to keep Hillary in the race.

    By comparison, President Trump looks pretty good. I wouldn’t lend him any money and I’d take what he says with the same grain of salt that I’d give any real estate developer, but if the choice was between believing President Trump or Dan Rather; President Trump or James Comey; President Trump or Nancy Pelosi; I’m feeling good about my pick.

  34. There’s several of us here in the software business or engineering, Tard Joe. Post your link that describes the software angle of the election, and we’ll see if it means what you think it means.

  35. John, I’d welcome links to the evidence refuting my allegations point by point. Otherwise, you’re not refuting my allegations, you’re contining to avoid refuting them and justifying your refusal with personal insults which, among thinking persons, is known as “ad hominum.”

  36. Sorry John, missed that you posted while I was typing.

    Are you conceding all the other points in my list?

  37. Eff no, you have no points. Its all shit stains finger painted on an attic wall.

    There was no complaint of fraud found credible anywhere there was a hearing.

  38. John, you’re wrong when they said there was no credible complaint of fraud. What the judicial hearings actually found was that in one case, votes were indeed reversed–let’s not forget that out of those 65-odd cases, the Trump team did actually win at least one.

    In other cases, there were some that were thrown out on procedural grounds, and there were also some that were rejected simply because the scale of fraud alleged wouldn’t overturn the election, even if proven true. Really, the whole system is designed to preserve initial counts and recounts unless the plaintiff hits a home run, rhetorically speaking.

    I don’t believe Trump really had a chance of overturning things, but I do think we need to take a serious look at who voted, where they lived, what their criminal records might have been, if they were alive, etc.. I know I’ve taken a look to see if some of my deceased ancestors are still voting. Thankfully I didn’t find anything, but big city machines are not counting votes in the middle of the night because it’s nicer, easier, or because people do their best work at 3am. They do it because people won’t be able to watch as closely.

  39. ^ I take 85% of that as additive to a real conversation about this.

    My position on the reality of the election is Joe Biden won fair and square, and ambient irregularities weren’t atypical or meaningful.

  40. How many of the folks going bananas over standing realize it was Scalia who set the Article III standing doctrine in Steel Co. v. Citizens?

    One other thing I find weird is that these newly elected Republicans would want to be seated in Congress at all, given the level of fraud and whatnot in the November election.

  41. If you think that you know who won the election, you need to think again.
    Based on what? Court decisions? CNN?
    How much fraud was there in the election? If you can’t say for certain, you can’t say who won the election.
    It’s not a fact, it is a legal and political finding.

  42. 50 states reported their results in basically the same manner they have for 100 years, 200 years, a winner was tabulated, and serious claims of irregularity weren’t demonstrated / adjudicated. That’s what I base what I think I can assume. Its THE standard. Its not exotic or naive.

    You, like Doakes, are engaged in some fallacious moronism where you are requiring people prove a negative. Its dumb, and I think you know that at heart, but do it to maintain this headspace where you can be on the side you’re on and keep reaching into your bag of stupid retorts and rhetorical crutches.

  43. The US Attorney Trump hand picked to take over the Atlanta office brought with him two prosecutors who’d been assigned to look at voter fraud. But now they’re back in their old jobs and the US attorney says there’s “nothing to” fraud claims.

    Trump’s pick for U.S. attorney in Georgia dismisses election fraud claims: ‘There’s just nothing to them’ ~ Atlanta Journal-Constitution
    https://www.ajc.com/news/trumps-pick-for-us-attorney-in-georgia-dismisses-election-fraud-claims-theres-just-nothing-to-them/7JMIL37WANHWXCZD4FTJXH4CIQ/

    Also — A Pennsylvania federal judge appointed by Trump issued a decision today in a case involving the state legislature that squarely rejects the GOP lie that the Pennsylvania Supreme Court “changed the rules” in the election.

    As a matter of fact, Trump and his allies are 1-64 in court cases. Every lawsuit, every election challenge, and every false attack drove ordinary people to believe a lie, that the election was stolen from them. That irrefutable proof showed Trump lost and judges sided against them, only proved their point.

    But — we wouldn’t want facts to get in the way of a Woolly/Doakes reimagined telling of a fraudulent election story…

  44. So, we have a voice of sanity, at last.

    VP Pence has smacked Pelosi, Schumer and the rest of the pitchfork reprobate parade down to the floor.

    He’s told them no one is going to invoke the 25th amendment to satiate their insane blood lust, and suggests they stop inciting the American public with their stupid pet tricks. It’s not fooling anyone, and throwing gas on the dumpster fire they started the day Trump was inaugurated is going to cause irreparable damage.

    Of course they won’t listen to reason. They’re criminals, and criminals love chaos. It provides cover for their crimes…see also the bat flu Dempanic.

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