Let’s run a little thought experiment. Without spending hours trying to come up with an answer, I want you to name the biggest Republican achievement of the past few years. I’m not talking about things like the repeal of Roe v. Wade — which amounts to shoving an extremely unpopular fringe position down the throats of the American people — but an honest to goodness accomplishment that improved the lives of voters. Having trouble? You’re not alone.
The central problem that Republicans face is that while they’re able to win elections from time to time, their party platform prevents them from passing any legislation that isn’t a massive tax handout to the rich or theocratic pandering to the Evangelical bloc. It’s hard to succeed at running a democratic government when you despise the idea of democracy itself.
With that in mind, it’s worth reviewing the GOP’s track record since they took control of the House. They promised voters that they wanted to tackle inflation and rising gas prices. Of course, the moment that they achieved their majority those promises went right out the window. Instead, they wasted fifteen months fiddling with a sham impeachment inquiry against Joe Biden that ultimately went nowhere because, to no one’s surprise, there were no underlying crimes to prosecute.
Reject Trump's national abortion ban!
From the start, the entire saga was nothing but a cheap PR stunt to damage Biden’s reelection chances. It was so self-evidently a wild goose chase that Democratic Representative Jared Moskowitz called the MAGA bluff and offered to be the first vote to move forward with impeachment. Republicans balked, not a single one of them stepped forward to second the emotion, and the effort died on the vine.
While that complete waste of time was burning through our tax dollars, Republicans spent their time outside of the hearings squawking on Fox News about the “crisis” at the southern border. Democrats, sensing that there was a genuine consensus amongst the electorate that action was needed, then negotiated in good faith to craft a bipartisan border security bill.
So how did Republicans respond to Democrats meeting them on common ground? As usual, they spit in our faces and the faces of their own constituents. Donald Trump called for the bill to be scuttled because he didn’t want Biden to notch up an immigration win during election season. Like the good little cultists they are, Republicans then lined up to torpedo their own legislation.
This is what Republican governance actually looks like in practice: flip-flops, reversals, and contradictions that all boil down to them flatly refusing to do anything that might fix one of this country’s myriad problems.
Meanwhile, Trump himself is promising a full-blown authoritarian revolution if he takes back the White House. He’ll doubtlessly enact a nationwide abortion ban and then do his absolute damndest to gut Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid. He’ll abuse the presidential pardon power to absolve himself of his numerous crimes. Sprinkle in another round of tax cuts for the rich and corporations and you’re starting to get the full picture.
Compare the dysfunctional, plutocratic future offered by Trump and Republicans to the vision presented by Joe Biden and Democrats. During their short time in the majority they managed to kickstart the economy, leading to a growth of fifteen million jobs and twenty-six straight months with unemployment below 4%. The stock market is thriving, inflation has flattened out, wages are rising and their legislative accomplishments include the historic American Rescue Plan, the Infrastructure Law, the Inflation Reduction Act, the CHIPs Act, and the PACT Act. They’ve passed gun safety laws, codified marriage equality at the federal level, and canceled $150 billion in student loan debt. The price of insulin and asthma inhalers have been capped at $35/month. The lives of real hard-working Americans have been materially improved in countless ways.
Hold these these two parties up next to each other and the choice quickly becomes no choice at all. Voting for Republicans is an act of supreme masochism, voting for Democrats is your patriotic duty.
Stay focused, stay energized.
Brian
Interview
Brian interviews Pod Save America co-host Jon Lovett about how to approach the issue of young people and progressives who are upset with Biden about what’s at stake in November’s election.
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DON'T BE A MITCH FUND
The "Don't Be A Mitch" campaign is back after a hugely successful 2022 cycle, having raised $1.2 million for voter registration groups ahead of the midterm elections. This year, with a tough Senate map, we have no room for error. I put together a list of organizations from 5 key states (Montana, Ohio, Arizona, Wisconsin, and Missouri) that I think are best situated to ensure that the Senate stays in Democrats' hands. Any amount helps!
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