Writing for RealClearPolitics, Charles Lipson observes the somewhat unusual behavior of the two political parties and, in doing so, manages to offend almost everyone. As a conservative, I have no problem with his critique of the Democrats.
I do think his critique of the Republicans is ever-so-slightly off the mark. I read his view of the GOP as a veiled defense of Liz Cheney, whose name isn’t mentioned. See if you don’t think so too.
Lipson says Trump over-reacted to his 2020 election loss and I agree. I disagree with Lipson’s judgment of most Republicans not piping up publicly to criticize Trump.
The Trump policy agenda was a winner down ballot, and defending that agenda while criticizing its author and vociferous defender is simply too difficult to accomplish in the zero-sum game that is politics. The two are inextricably bound together in the minds of most of his voters.
To use the old baby-and-bathwater cliche, the Trump policy agenda is the baby, Trump the man is the bathwater. Liz Cheney’s fatal error was misunderstanding that, with the election loss the “bathwater” was already thrown out and her job was to be sure the policy “baby” was supported.
Cheney kept beating up on Trump, when all that was left of him politically was his popular-with-the-base policies. Doing so, she has forfeited her leadership role and very possibly her seat come 2022. Hers was an unforced error.
