I am in the ever-shrinking majority of conservatives who refuse to condemn Republicans such as Mitt Romney, Lisa Murkowski, Susan Collins, and Liz Cheney as nothing more than wolves in sheep’s clothing–or Democrats masquerading as Republicans. They may vote more liberally on some issues. They may fit better into the Independent category than they would in either the blue or the red, but it’s unfair to completely disregard them as “RINO’s” (Republican in Name Only).
And so I was a bit disappointed when I came across a tweet from Leo Terrell, a pundit who I generally respect, gloating about the fact that Liz Cheney would soon be out of office. Terrell also added “#TRUMP2024ToSaveAmerica.” It’s a bit ironic that he added that hashtag to a tweet about Liz Cheney, but it makes sense, seeing as Cheney’s only real crime against the GOP is disliking Trump. Being not much of a fan of Trump myself, I can’t blame her.
It’s not like Cheney doesn’t vote with the GOP on most issues, or that she stands for everything Terrell doesn’t. Heritage Action For America, a conservative think tank, gave Cheney a 73/100% lifetime rating on her voting record. Suffice that to say: Cheney is overall pretty conservative.
Cheney isn’t a loudmouth. It’s not like she’s going to get all nasty about Democrats or join in the general jeering of Republicans all around her. That probably means that Cheney also won’t be as bold when it comes to conservative causes, but she’s by no means an active liberal.
When it comes down to it, however, Cheney just doesn’t like Trump. And that’s apparently enough to warrant not only a formal censure from the Wyoming GOP, but also the rejoicing of conservative pundits upon their hearing of her losing office.
So why is it bad for America that Cheney is no longer going to be in office? Or, more accurately, why is it saddening to hear Leo Terrell rejoicing about it?
To put it shortly, it shows an increasing political extremism taking place in America. The hostility shown towards Cheney, who has largely fought for good, is disheartening. The GOP bandwagon has tolerance only for one viewpoint–and Cheney doesn’t share it. It’s not that the GOP shouldn’t have principles and beliefs, it’s that the GOP is currently rallying around a person instead of a set of ideals. And what’s saddening is that the more people who truly believe that you either become a blue haired leftist or a MAGA Republican, the more divided America will become. It’s truly disheartening to see so many people on both aisles contributing to what is currently America’s biggest problem.
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