Republican Normalization

A few months ago I posted an update on Facebook complaining of media bias against Democrats. One of my friends challenged me on it. It caused me to re-evaluate my statement.

After re-evaluating I realized I was oversimplifying the issue. The issue we are seeing today is normalization of a political party that has gone off the deep end into far right conspiracy and all out culture wars.

The Republican Party is currently the vessel for a modern day fascist movement. They’re actively dividing our nation and positioning white people, especially white males as victims who’s country is being taken away. They’re actively demonizing racial justice movements and protests as criminals. They’re actively trying to erase our nations history and saying kids should not “feel shame” for our county’s history. They’re using things like CRT (which isn’t even taught in K-12) to fashion policy which will make teachers unlikely to teach our actual history. Not to even speak of voting law in places like AZ that will allow them to pick their own slate of electors.

And of course, they attempted to install a dictator as president for life just over a year ago. They had a chance right there to end their thrall to Trump but decided go lean in to white nationalism, and now Kyle Rittenhouse is their poster child being introduced at conventions like he’s Bruce Springsteen.

Now to my point – the media is treating the Republican Party like a typical political party. They’re acting as if its 1998 and that both parties are for democracy. Right now – there is only one party for democracy and it is decidedly not republicans. If they take over in 2022, which most in the media treat as a foregone conclusion – it will be a 24/7 clown show of investigations into everything from the “source” of COVID to the FBI “tracking” parents of school children. Not to even mention the promised impeachments.

They are not treating Republicans as the existential threat most of them are to democracy. They’ve normalized politicians being able to question election results. They aren’t challenging Republicans who come on Sunday shows and continue to parrot these lies. Republicans have NO policies to speak of except obstruction and destruction of the federal government, women’s rights, gender and racial equality.

They are a modern day fascist movement who are being treated like Republicans of old.

THAT is what keeps me afraid for the future of our democracy. I hope the January 6th committee can break through the noise next year and show Americans the true threat to our democracy. And hopefully then, more will join Liz Cheney as being true leaders – vs slaves to a would be autocrat. I still have hope, however little – that the extremists will be removed from the party.

The thing is they’d lose elections for some time – are they willing to make that sacrifice for the greater good?