Yesterday, someone posted a comment on social media about Liz Cheney, (R-WY) saying that "As much as I can't stand her, at least she has a shred of integrity left. Unlike just about everyone else in the GOP."
The first thing that caught my eyes was the unintentional overlap that the concept of integrity in today's Republican Party has with shredding. And second, I fully understand the person's point. The past couple of months, Liz Cheney -- who has normally had pretty odious political positions throughout her career (keep in mind that she has a GOP leadership position in the House, something they don't hand out for just showing up on time) -- has taken a few outspoken positions about today's standard GOP orthodoxy. It's an interesting discussion, though -- is the absence of not having a conscience the same as having a shred of integrity? It may be. Or it may be nothing more than physiological, that one is simply still capable of having an acid reflux reaction. It's a dicey conundrum. There are a number of very conservative, unpalatable Republicans these days who have been very outspoken against Trump since he took office. And subsequently, critical of the GOP that has followed them. People like Bill Kristol, David Frum, George Will, Joe Walsh, Carly Fiorina and John Kasich,. (I separate these people from more moderate Republicans who have have not been unpalatable and odious, but just have political views I haven't agreed with, such as Nicole Wallace, Steve Schmidt,, Jennifer Rubin and Max Boot. That's a difference of opinion, not a coldness that's anathema to the human condition.) When the Odious Gang becomes "the enemy of my enemy," have they done so because they've had a change of heart, and a newly-found sense of decency, laced with integrity, or is there something else that has pushed them in this unexpected direction? In reality, it's probably not a yes-or-no issue, and I'm sure there an overlap with many of them. And yes, there is a certain facetiousness in asking if they don't have even a shred of integrity. Though it speaks volumes about a political party when you even have to point out that, yes, of course, most of some people have retained a shred of integrity. The other factor at play, I think, for the Bill Kristol, David Frum, George Will, Joe Walsh, Carly Fiorina and John Kasichs of the world,. is that much of their reaction is not a matter of having a shred integrity -- which most of these people probably do (and yes, that "probably" is stuck in there...) -- but rather one of politics. They are very much true conservatives. And they see Trump as destroying their "brand." And seeing this lace its way through the Republican Party as it so greatly has, they see the risk conservative ideology being lost. Supporting "anyone but Trump," even to the point of supporting Joe Biden -- or even calling for the defeat of all Republicans in Congress today, as Steve Schmidt has -- may seem counter-productive when it comes to people who are horrified at conservatism being lost. And while it is, to a degree, the sense I get is that if fascist "Trumpism" becomes today's Republican Party, then conservatism is totally lost. But even if liberals win the next election, or next couple, they likely believe that conservative values can eventually win an argument against liberals. And think that voting for a Biden or a liberal today is not so much voting in support of that political philosophy but rather just the only option on the ballot to vote against fascist Trumpism. Sort of a, "We have to get rid of the disease before we can heal -- even if the medicine tastes terrible" syndrome. The point being that, yes, I suspect that "a shred of integrity" is indeed party of the equation for some conservatives who have been viewed Before Trump as odious -- but I'm not willing to label their change of hearts as being based on integrity at their foundation, but more a case of political self-preservation. Years ago, when I worked at Universal Pictures, a new head of the studio was brought in above my boss -- who was president of the studio. This new person brought with him someone who had a reputation as being quite awful and incompetent, totally undeserving of the job for many reasons, none of which I will go into. Most executives around me paid homage to this new Vice President, something I found myself unable to do. Friends were pressing upon me to make my pilgrimage in order to keep my job (which I thought was lost regardless). And when I explained to one friend why I simply couldn't go and prostrate myself before this person to hopefully save my job, no matter how unlikely that was, he thought a moment. And that said, "Oh, okay, I see. What you're saying is, 'If it makes you throw up, don't do it." It was more than that, but, yes, that was one the foundational ideas. I think the concept still holds. Fortunately, there are enough Republicans to have joined other Americans in voting Joe Biden to be President of the United States -- and giving Democrats the majority in the Senate. Sadly, there are still too many Republicans who don't mind that taste in their mouth.
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AuthorRobert J. Elisberg is a political commentator, screenwriter, novelist, tech writer and also some other things that I just tend to keep forgetting. Feedspot Badge of Honor
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