The Party's Over

The other day, former Vice President Mike Pence spoke at the Western Conservative Summit and drew a rousing chorus of boos and cries of "traitor" -- all for the Today's Republican crime of following the law as defined by the Constitution of the United States.

While it was a boos that got the media attention, my friend Myles Berkowitz sent me a note about something else that bothered him far more.  (To be fair, there are many things that bother Myles "far more" compared to most people.  This is not a criticism, just an observation that he has a fine-tune sense of being bothered.  So, when his level of being bothered reaches that high level of "far more," it's worth paying attention.  At that point, you can decide whether or not to be equally bothered.  In this case, he's right.)

When Pence began speaking the shouts of "boo" and bellows of "traitor," he wanted to make sure the people in attendance knew who he was and what he most stood for, that he was on their side and believed in everything they believed in.  He told the Western Conservator Summiteers that he, Mike Pence, the former Vice President of the United States, who had been sworn to protect, defend and preserve the Constitution of the United States again all enemies foreign and domestic (including those who attend the Western Conservative Summit) was first and above all, in this order -- " A Christian.  A Conservative. A Republican."

Nowhere on that list is "An American."

It's not that "An American" didn't make Mike Pence's Top Three.  That's bad enough.  But he didn't even choose to expand his list and make it a Top Four.  And it would have been okay if he did -- after all, it wasn't like there was a limit on how long the list could be.  It was his list, after all.  And by choice, Mike Pence decided to leave out "An American."

That aside, even forgetting for the moment that he put religion over country -- which happens, especially among the most devout (though once upon a time, Americans were concerned about electing Catholics to the White House because of the fear they'd be beholden to the Pope.  We're past that today, though I suspect only until it's convenient for some to bring it up again), but I get "religion over country" for some, at least if it's tied to the morality of the religion -- what Mike Pence also did was put political philosophy over country.  And political party over country.

And that's the problem with today's Republican Party.  And we saw it for the past four years.  They have put their party over country.  (Worse, one could suggest that they have put an individual over country.)  That's what we see in Mitch McConnell saying openly that he'll block any major bills and federal judicial appointments and Supreme Court appointments if Republicans take control of the Senate.  And it's what we see in all the voter suppression bills by Republicans to limit the basic, foundational American right to vote, out of fear that too many people might not vote for Republicans.

Once upon a time, not too long ago in the breadth of American history, the late 1960s, Republicans railed about those protesting in the streets and cried out, "America, love it or leave it."  Clearly, that GOP philosophy has been relegated to their dust bin.  Along with other Republican chestnuts like "My country, right or wrong."  That and, "My country, 'tis of thee" and "God Bless America, land that I love.  Stand beside her."

Now, for a Republican today, it appears that the mantra for what they view as most important, or perhaps even only important is being "A Christian.  A Conservative. A Republican."  Not "an American" in sight.

And while, yes, this could have just been an oversight to Mike Pence.  But it's a pretty huge thing to forget about when defining who you are at a political rally -- when you're the former Vice President of the United States.  And given all I mentioned about about today's Republican Party, it doesn't seem all that much an oversight. It seems core.  Especially when you add it how many Republicans supported Trump's love for Vladimir Putin and support for Russia and insistence that Putin should be trusted over the U.S. intelligence services.

I am sure that most Republicans today consider themselves proud Americans.  And believe that they support America and all that it stands for.  The problem is that most Republicans today seem to show that what they believe America stands for is being a Christian, a conservative, and a Republican.

That's the problem.

And no, it's not about Trump.  It's about the elected members of the Republican Party, and is base members who enable it all and are complicit.