Crossing the Jordan

​Over the weekend, Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH) went on Newsmax (which should speak loudly enough right there to go no further) and talk with Sebastian Gorka (could have heads exploding at this point) and did pretty much what you’d expect when you read that Jim Jordan went on Newsmax to talk with Sebastian Gorka.  He said that liberals must be defeated because they are the successors to the Nazis and slavery.

Yes, really.

Now, putting aside Jim Jordan’s credibility on anything, given his involvement in the Ohio State University sex abuse scandal when, as coach, he knew what was going on and did nothing, and then didn’t testify when the state of Ohio held a hearing on it all, this is still pretty far over the Crazy, Sick and Pathetic Edge even for Jim Jordan.

It doesn’t take much effort to point out that today’s Republican Party actually gives aid and comfort to the neo-Nazis and that the base of today’s far-right fascist GOP is the remnants of the Old South, which started when Republicans during Richard Nixon’s run for office in 1968 had its Southern Strategy to build a coalition that has remains strong for the past half-century.

But then, this is pure Republican tactics – blame your opponents with your own worst qualities.

Of course, when going on Newsmax, Jordan knows he doesn’t have to be bothered by such things as facts, standards or decency.  His viewers there – many of whom believe that JFK Jr. will rise from the dead and run as vice-king with Trump in 2024 and think that Anderson Cooper eats babies (and no, I’m not exaggerating in the slightest) – will believe whatever demented insanity he says.  And love it.  But they're voting his way anyway.  Most everyone else in the sane world where reality resides knows how maniacally demagogic this.

Which brings up the larger point here –

I’ve written in the past that one of the platforms Democrats should run on in 2022 is the Republican rumbling that if they win back control of the House of Representatives, they might make Donald Trump the new Speaker.  That wouldn’t happen (and Trump wouldn’t want the actual job that requires work), but if it’s what they want to postulate to their base, fine, then Democrats should bring it up to everyone as the terrifying possibility.

But now, I also think Democrats should expand on this and run on the idea that Republicans could make Jim Jordan the Speaker.  And that actually is possible.  He has the support of the especially-lunatic fascist wing of the House, lead by Greene, Boebert, Gossard et al, and they hold far more sway in the party than their deep minority status would suggest, since the rest of Republicans in the House are so cowardly of offending such crazy people.

So, Jim Jordan as Speaker – if Republicans win control of the House – while not likely is seriously possible.  Kevin McCarthy, the party’s current House leader, is not seen as overly strong and, while he has the most support, he doesn’t have full support or admiration.

Democrats should make very clear in their House races that Jim Jordan could very conceivably become Speaker of the House, no matter of strong and remote, that possibility is.  Show the general public what seriously could be.  Plaster TV and the Internet with montage videos of Jim Jordan's Greatest Crazed Hits.  After all, the general public not only doesn’t have the same deranged love of the shamelessly irresponsible Jordan that the GOP base does, but there is a large segment that reviles him as a threat to decency and democracy.  And combined with the potential of Republicans suggesting out loud that they could make Trump (whose approval is hovering around 31 percent, and who is getting more delusional by the day) the new Speaker, it’s just one more campaign point Democrats should use to their advantage to scare what I believe is the majority of voters in horror.