How Far Has The GOP Fallen?

Pretty damn far! Also, undecided voters are the bane of my existence.

I’m Michael A. Cohen, and this is Truth and Consequences: A no-holds-barred look at the absurdities, hypocrisies, and surreality. If you were sent this email or are a free subscriber and would like to become a paid subscriber, you can sign up here.

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Slippery Slope

Aaron Rupar, who is a great follow on Twitter and has an excellent newsletter called Public Notice, made an interesting point on the bird site.

Here’s the thing: Aaron’s right about how Trump’s violations of democratic norms have become practically routine. But the real story is even worse than it seems.

Few people seem to remember this, but in 2016, when Trump first ran for president, during his third debate with Hillary Clinton, he refused to commit to accepting the election results that year.

In a remarkable statement that seemed to cast doubt on American democracy, Donald J. Trump said Wednesday that he might not accept the results of next month’s election if he felt it was rigged against him — a stand that Hillary Clinton blasted as “horrifying” at their final and caustic debate on Wednesday.

… Mr. Trump insisted, without offering evidence, that the general election has been rigged against him, and he twice refused to say that he would accept its result.

“I will look at it at the time,” Mr. Trump said. “I will keep you in suspense.”

I remember when this happened and how shocking it was. In my Globe column about the debate, I argued that this was “Trump's lowest point” of the 2016 campaign.

His words not only throw into doubt the legitimacy of the election; they undermine the legitimacy of American democracy itself … Representative democracy cannot survive if voters do not have confidence that their vote matters, but also that their vote will actually be counted. The very success and endurance of our democratic system, which is the oldest in the world, relies on the peaceful transfer of power from one president to another and on political leaders accepting the results of an election, even if things don't go their way. When those elements are in doubt, it's a recipe for potential violence, but also for eroding the civic belief that the ballot box offers the opportunity for Americans to hold their leaders accountable and affect political change.

Ah, we were so much younger then.

However, the reaction, at the time, from Republicans was telling.

According to the Washington Post, Trump’s “latest broadside … was roundly criticized by conservatives across the GOP.”

There was particularly strong pushback from Lindsey Graham, who said that Trump is “doing the party and the country a great disservice by continuing to suggest the outcome of this election is out of his hands and ‘rigged’ against him.” According to Graham, “If he loses, it will not be because the system is ‘rigged’ but because he is a failed candidate.”

Arizona Republican Senator Jeff Flake, who would eventually become a Trump critic, called his words “beyond the pale.” Even fever swamp denizen Wisconsin Senator Ron Johnson said in a statement that he “believes we need to respect the results on Election Day.”

Conservative talk radio host Laura Ingraham, who was and remains a reliably pro-Trump voice, tweeted, “He should have said he would accept the results of the election. There is no other option unless we’re in a recount again.”

Then there was this Politico article that asked GOP insiders about the comment — and their response is fascinating.

Even some Republicans who thought Trump performed well Wednesday night lamented his answer to Wallace’s question about accepting the validity of the returns. One Nevada Republican called it Trump’s “worst moment of an otherwise adequate debate performance.”

… “There’s just no excuse for this line of attack on the process,” an Ohio Republican said. “Media and elites will care. They already hate him anyway. Conspiracy theorists will love it, but they’re all voting for him anyway. How does this add to his coalition when he’s behind? It doesn’t.”

“Refusing to accept the outcome of a legitimate American election and refusing to commit to the peaceful transition of power is disqualifying,” added a New Hampshire Republican. “Stunning.”

Among GOP insiders, a majority, 72 percent, said they weren’t comfortable with Trump’s refusal to commit to supporting the election results.

“I’m embarrassed for, by and of him,” said a Florida Republican.

Another Florida Republican called it “the greatest disgrace of a disgraceful cycle.”

Seventy-two percent were not comfortable with Trump’s words! Ask yourself: How many Republicans would say this today?

We know the answer. GOP elected officials, including Senators Tim Scott, Marco Rubio, Ted Cruz, and JD Vance, House members like Speaker Mike Johnson, Rep. Elise Stefanik, and Rep. Byron Donalds, and North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum, are publicly adopting Trump’s position and refusing to commit themselves to accepting the November election results. Even Lindsey Graham, who in 2016 harshly criticized Trump on this issue, is now saying that he’ll accept the election outcome if “there’s no massive cheating,” which is basically the position taken by other Republicans and opens the door for Trump to make precisely this accusation (as he regularly and falsely claims about 2020).

It’s true that many of the Republicans backing Trump’s shredding of political norms are also jockeying to be his running mate in November, but that doesn’t make it ok. It just shows the depths of their cynicism that they are so willing to throw democracy under the bus in pursuit of their political ambitions.

But the bottom line is that eight years ago, Trump’s refusal to accept the election outcome was unprecedented. Few Republicans were publicly willing to support his position. That is not the case today.

Make no mistake: when fundamental democratic and political norms that were once universally accepted become yet another partisan football, the future of American democracy is in grave peril. A political party that won’t accept the results of an election in which their side loses is a clear and present danger to democracy.

Undecided Voters … Not So Bright

Regular readers of Truth and Consequences know I have strong feelings about the political and policy acumen of undecided voters.