Many Republicans have said that it's time to stop fixating on yesterday and instead look to tomorrow. I'm sure that there are at least as many who share those thoughts but for reasons of their own are reluctant to voice them. Some of them have spoken out and have done so forcibly.
One man who impressed me the few times I've heard him speak is Georgia's former Lieutenant Governor Geoff Duncan. He declined to run for reelection, instead voicing his disgust with Trump, Trumpism and partisan politics. He has founded and is focusing on the organization GOP 2.0.
Congressman Adam Kinzinger's Country First organization, if his media interviews and newsletters are to be believed, is gathering steam and could become a shaping force in resurrecting the GOP.
The Lincoln Project has been around for awhile but seems to have been invisible lately, or at least I haven't read anything about it recently.
No Labels is another group with some heavy-hitters associated with it. Maryland's Governor Larry Hogan in the 2020 election voted for Ronald Reagan, something I had considered doing myself but ultimately reluctantly voted for Biden. Hogan may be a name to remember come 2024.
There may be other formal groups of disenfranchised Republicans that I'm not aware of. What strikes me about the four organizations mentioned is that their messages are nearly identical: look forward not backward, eliminate the extremists and tribalism, restore common sense and civility, and unite the country. One other thing they have in common is a donate button. They are competing for donations.
Isn't being in independent groups, even with a common cause a form of tribalism? Wouldn't they stand a better chance of effecting change if they presented one united front? As individual entities they will likely fail and fade from the scene. United they could conceivably build momentum to reach a critical mass. Add a few more influential voices such as that of former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie and maybe Mike Pence and who knows, there might even be enough firepower to take down Trump. And with Trump down I'd like to believe that even the most extreme, such as MTG would see which way the wind was blowing and fall into line.
Probably none of this will come to pass but it sure is pleasant to think about.
No comments:
Post a Comment