Whither Republicans?

 Shorn of almost all Federal-level power, the Republican Party may be on the verge of splitting more completely than the uranium atoms that would provide a check on the need for fossil fuels, if only the leftist wing of the new would-be suzerains would allow it.  But I divert myself.  The serious issue is whether or not the Republican Party can stay together, and even if that were true, should it stay together.

I have already seen reports of a MAGA party slinking together among the not-yet-cooled carcasses and putrid souls of the Trumpist wing of the GOP.  Among the fraud fervents, QAnon tin-foil-helmets, and other intellectual vacuums that provide the official cover for this secession are the chair of the Arizona Republicans and a newly elected representative from Georgia who is so ignorant the House of Representatives noticed. 

It is also true, unfortunately, that a substantial number of rank-and-file Republicans would seem to be easy marks for this gang of real state scammers, ambulance chasers, and carpetbaggers.  According to data collected by the Washington-based Pew Research Center (a self-described “nonpartisan fact tank that informs the public about the issues, attitudes and trends shaping America and the world”) in interviews conducted January 8—12, two-thirds of respondents that were Republican or leaned Republican reported that Trump had either definitely or probably won the election. 

Somewhat imprecisely, that means about 47.5 million “Republican” voters have turned their backs on my Republican party to wallow in self-abusive political fantasy.  The question is, can the roughly 30 million of us that are living in a reality-based universe retain the Republican brand or must we create a new party?  Can 30 million sane Republicans hold off—no, actually reverse—the hostile takeover of the party by people who believe, inter alia, that brush fires are caused by ray guns, Comet Pizza serves human flesh to a cabal of pedophiles, and elections are only fair if they win.

Unfortunately, politics is an uncompromising numbers game even at the intra-party level.  Republicans are outnumbered one-and-a-half to one within our own party.  Even more unfortunately, according to people with extensive senior experience at the operation of political parties it would take tens of millions of dollars to establish a new party—and that party would do little other than split the center right vote and thus assure a prolonged ascendency of the left wing ideologues rising within the Biden administration.  

Perhaps it our duty to first make the party leadership now gifted to the authoritarian populists (nee Trumpists, nee fascists) unlucrative.  That is, do not contribute money, time, or talent to any other than individuals that align closely with your sense of what it is to be a center-right Republican.  For me, that means candidates espousing a small, competent, humane, and frugal government dedicated to defending the rights and obligations of its people.  Second, provide a loyal opposition to the leftward drift of our national government.   Remember, these people are only dumb and ill-informed, not seditious, treasonous, or un-American.

For myself, I hope there will be a long interval between this screed and the next time I am moved to address either intra-party or partisan political issues and that I’ll be able to focus on policy issues and actual governance. Let's hope that events don't force me to delete the first H in the title.