Rick Wilson — a major figure in the Lincoln Project — has been eloquent and insightful in condemnation of the Trump Party for a long time. Which is why I was surprised to discover that he’s declaring, in his Tweets reported today on Raw Story, that it’s a waste of time and money for Republicans (like Chris Christie) to be attacking Donald Trump.
Wilson goes through “three schools of thought” that would justify this effort, “all wrong.” No need to go through them here, because they are all predicated on the notion that the purpose of these efforts must be “to defeat Trump in the primary.” And that, because such efforts are futile, this is “burning through donor resources that will be desperately needed in the general election.”
That all seems to me wrong-headed— because 1) I agree with Wilson that enough of the Republican base are “willing members of an authoritarian personality cult” that Donald Trump is almost certain to be the Republican nominee,” while I also believe, 2) that it is great news that Chris Christie has met the criteria for being on the Republican debate stage (whether the gangster Don is there or not).
Those two are compatible because what Christie can do on the Republican debate stage, though it will not alter Gangster Don’s overall trajectory in the primaries, will have repercussions in the General Election.
(It’s like artillery softening up the enemies forces prior to the invasion force’s moving in.)
The whole nation will be paying some attention to the Republican debates. Even if the Trump cult is not moved, that cult is apparently less than a third of the nation. The goal should be to move every potential Trump vote that isn’t totally nailed down in that “willing authoritarian personality cult” away from Trump and to Biden.
Polling seems to indicate that the number of Americans who believe that Trump “did something wrong” is steadily increasing. (I think I saw news that 78 percent now affirm that, as a result, I would imagine, of the steady flow of news from the investigations/indictments.)
Christie will doubtless be booed for his truth-telling. But so what? The resistance is there, but the artillery should still be raining down.
Will Hurd was booed the other day when, after making the weirdly-controversial statement that “One of the things we need in our elected leaders: For them to tell the truth, even if it’s unpopular,” he went on to say:
“Donald Trump is not running for president to Make America Great Again. Donald Trump is not running for president to represent the people that voted for him in 2016 and 2020. Donald Trump is running to stay out of prison.”
He was booed, but those who booed him heard it. But it was not only those who booed who heard it in that Iowa Republican candidate showcase. And it made news well beyond that event.
Of course, neither Will Hurd nor Chris Christie has the least chance of getting the nomination. Trump-supporters will consider them the enemy, and they are still at least half the Republican base. But even so, they are Republicans — less easily dismissed than truth-telling Democrats -- and they are telling obvious truths. Their artillery rounds will not land without effect.
As the indictment process comes now to its climax — with Jack Smith and Fani Willis bringing charges soon for the most serious crimes in American history — it is essential that everything possible be done to make sure as many Americans as possible reject the Lies and accept the Truth. I.e. reject the Lies that Trump and the Trump Party puts out about “politically motivated” and “witch hunt” and all the rest. And accept the Truth that mountains of evidence prove that Trump’s misdeeds were serious and absolutely compelled the American system of Justice hold him to account.
Truth-telling should be injected into the Republican primary process as much as possible by as many prominent Republican voices as possible. Will Hurd is doing his part, but will likely not last long. Chris Christie is an accomplished prosecutor, who is doing his part well: long may he last on the primary stage.
And I’d love to see Liz Cheney — either as a candidate or as an autonomous Republican gadfly goading the Party that has rejected her for having forbidden integrity — join in this important truth-telling campaign.
It is all part of a campaign to maximize the chance that this Republican Party — which is completely under the sway of the Lie — will suffer a catastrophic defeat in 2024.