turbulent this week’s political events United States of AmericaKevin McCarthy’s impeachment, on a motion initiated by eight of his most extremist colleagues, left the House of Representatives speakerless and completely paralyzed. national and global alerts Open political volatility The threats looming over the state of the country and its democracy. But above all the focus turned to: The complex and difficult reality of the Republican PartyAn entity confirmed in Washington, not in the states He is as incapable of governing as he is of being governed.
Even in an area that generally favors conservatives, an editorial in ‘The Wall Street Journal’ this week assured that what happened to McCarthy “captures all the facts.” degraded situation On this issue, the Republican Party it was anger”. And the Congress leadership is paying the price for years of emotional exploitation populists and fed grassroots anger and disdain for institutions and the partyOr at least by the maligned “device.”
Earthquake in slow motion
The conservative tectonic plates that exploded in this earthquake, whose aftershocks are still continuing, have been moving for a while. Because the seemingly unstoppable radicalization process started at least twenty years ago. after bowing before The conservative revolution, spurred on by mega-donors like the Koch brothers The party has gone so far The populist and extremist wave that embraced the Tea Party.
On paper, the grassroots movement that emerged during Barack Obama’s presidency called for a robust recovery. conservative beliefs reducing the deficit and the size of government, as well as halting the progressive Democratic agenda. But they moved beneath the surface strongest currentsaspect get angry And fear before a country with experience profound demographic and social changes. And at the same time, as the left progressed in identity politics, everything on the right became radicalized. race, gender or immigration.
With the emergence social networks and one alternative ultra-conservative media ecosystemAdditionally, priority was given to: politics as spectacle, cameras sought, viral moment, interest used to raise funds from small donors. happened further reduce the power of the lobby and the apparatus. HE closed almost every avenue for bipartisanship. And it all ended in this invasion donald trumpThis attitude, which fueled contempt for apparatuses and institutions, fed the rejection of anything that looked like compromise and intensified conflict. is drifting towards chaos.
The whole game is bent
Following the impeachment, criticism from McCarthy and his allies focused on Matt Gaetz and seven other far-right congressmen. Freedom Group They beheaded their leader (the successor to the group that had the Tea Party in Congress). But what they don’t talk about is their own radicalization and policy of appeasement either right ultracurrents and towards it Trumpism This is what has led the party to today’s complicated point. leaned to the right this is already Only eight truly moderate Republicans remain in the Lower House and three in the SenateAccording to the classification given to them by the powerful American Conservative Union. Such a small number of evaluations have not been made since these evaluations began in 1971.
After McCarthy was impeached, he expressed his “fear” for the “future of the institution,” as did his ally Tom Massie, and other members of Congress warned that his successor “will be subject to the same sanction.” terrorist attacks”from his most extreme colleagues. But we cannot forget that it was Massie who initiated a motion to abolish the right in 2015. John Boehner A traditional Republican who threw in the towel before being expelled. Nor McCarthy, just a few days after the incident Attack on the Capitol and after initially expressing that he was fed up with Trump and his intention to ask him to resign (which he denied but is on the record). I pay tribute to him at Mar-a-Lago.
McCarthy too Voted to overturn 2020 results and blocked a bipartisan commission from investigating the attack on the Capitol. In January, when he finally won election after 15 rounds of voting (by making concessions to the extremist wing, such as allowing Gaetz to introduce the motion), he also thanked Trump. And meanwhile He has been bowing to pressure for nine months From attacking the Justice Department to kickstarting the Trump investigations, the far right Launch an ‘impeachment’ of Joe Biden.
Trump’s weight
Another Republican congressman, Don Bacon, assured this week that “the only way to end this is to have a more bipartisan spirit.” However Bilateralism neither exists nor is expected. And the consensus is that nothing can change Republican Party Don’t leave Trump or stop taking his leadership style as an example, but this rupture cannot even be perceived.
A basic part of the bases keep showing you things loyalty bordering on idolatry, and even when the former president is elected, he maintains and even strengthens his unwavering support 91 criminal complaints were filed in four cases and faces additional charges. And Trump, despite this Republicans’ poor results in 2018, 2020 and 2022, or, despite the recent increase in violent rhetoric, still Overwhelming favorite to regain the Republican nomination Until 2024.
The man he decided to take over from McCarthy Jim Jordan He is one of the most radical congressmen in the Lower House and is also a member of the Freedom Caucus. And it remains to be seen whether Jordan can defeat the slightly more moderate Steve Scalise or secure the support of the entire Republican wing. Negotiating with the Senate and the White House is more difficult. And the urgent negotiation to approve budgets that allow this Keeping the government running after November 17or for problems like Help Ukraine.
strong in defeat
What happened at the congress dysfunction Republicans who prepared this He believes the 2024 elections will pay the price. But we’re also seeing a kind of rise. conservatism strengthened by defeat; focuses on preventing things from happening rather than legislating; It succumbs to disruption because it does not have the votes to implement its political proposals. And it is multiplying rapidly in one country aggressive zone design It has created deeply partisan maps where all politicians live under constant threat from primary challenges from the most inflammatory wings. “Already They have no motivation to negotiate. They need to continue fighting”, Joseph Postell, a political scientist at Hillsdale College, reflected in ‘The Washington Post.’