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Writing for The Atlantic, Tom Nichols makes a vital argument: if there are any Republicans left who care about the Constitution, now is the time to act. Nichols' argument starts with the usual suspects in the GOP, Marjorie Taylor Greene and Paul Gosar, to point out the problems that exist in the party. While we could point to any number of examples of the extremes those two will go to, they have shown who they are and who they are is dangerous for our nation.
Nichols moves on to the recent news, first reported by Talking Points Memo, of the texts former Trump chief of staff Mark Meadows received in the days after the 2020 election. As Nichols puts it, "The messages are alternately stomach-turning and comical, in some cases at the same time." And while the texts show a party slowly losing the thread of being a serious player in US politics, Nichols smartly argues that some can still say there are serious Republicans. Republicans who care about governing, the Constitution, and making America better for Americans and not just Donald Trump. And Nichols asks a great question: Where are they?
Who is standing up to MTG and Gosar? Certainly not Kevin McCarthy, who has been courting her vote in his bid to be Speaker of the House. As noted in this newsletter, most House Republicans who voted to impeach Trump did not survive their primaries. Nichols points out that supposed centrist and moderate Gov. Glenn Youngkin was stumping for Kari Lake, who is currently doing her best Trump impression as she fights the "corrupt" election results in Arizona's governor race.
The list of folks in the GOP who are supposedly for what is right while being suspiciously quiet about the lies, deceit, and conspiracies that come from many in the party could go on. Focusing too much on the list is unnecessary because Nichols' point is correct; the party needs a reckoning. But it seems that reckoning is not going to come from elected officials. This means it must come from regular people. Ordinary folks not running for office still have power through votes, donations, volunteering time, and countless other ways to say enough is enough.
The recent midterm elections show that if enough conservatives speak up against candidates who care more about lies that protect a former president than actually defending our nation, Republicans with courage and integrity can take the reins. Will principled conservatives hold their elected officials to account and say, "no more"? Only time will tell.
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