A Slight Burst of Hope

Whatever Its Terrible Fate, Ukraine May Have Saved the American Republic

Today, the treacherous Mo Brooks, who is trying to win the Alabama Republican Senate Primary, turned on his mentor Trump, claiming that Trump wanted him to lead a coup against Biden after the January 6 Insurrection. Brooks said he refused, telling the cretinous lecher that he was a lawyer who had taken an oath to protect the Constitution, not an oath to a single leader. It has also been reported that Romney has not endorsed his fellow Utah Republican Senator Mike Lee, a Trump supporter being opposed by a Never-Trumper.

Meanwhile, a recent poll indicated that 58 percent of Americans support Biden’s Supreme Court nominee, despite the Republican Judiciary Senators’ squalid attempts to reassure the fascist wing in their party that they can be as vile as Trump. In other words, racism and sexism have not yet prevailed.

A couple of days ago, we were enjoying an outdoor brunch. Tucked in a corner, we turned to politics. One of us often supported Republicans but voted Libertarian when Trump ran last time. He recommended that we study a nonpartisan website which seeks to find the best candidate from either Party.

I replied that I was currently a “yellow dog Democrat.” I would vote for a “yellow dog” instead of any Republican who does not repudiate Trump. Because of Trump and the Insurrection, the Republican Party deserves to be spanked, sent to a corner, and told to grow up.

Much to my surprise, a young woman sitting near us said she had overheard us and agreed completely, all the while clearly implying that she normally voted Republican. We toasted to those hoped-for better days when we can agree to disagree without considering each other mortal enemies.

Underneath all of this reshuffling is Ukraine’s resistance to Russia, one of the two most important events of this Century (9/11 being the other). Despotism reeking of bloodthirsty nationalism and faux Christianity doesn’t look so appealing after all.

Today was the first time that I began feeling any real hope that our Republic may survive Trumpism. I gleefully thought, “It might turn out OK after all.” Ever since Trump refused to agree to a peaceful transfer of power yet almost won the Presidency, I feared he would win again in 2024, seeking to destroy our system and society.

Sure, the Republican leadership is going to continue to pander to its rabid followers. But when Mo Brooks starts talking about his Constitutional oath, something that he had previously overlooked, and about putting the 2020 Election behind us, we may be witnessing the escalating decline of Trump and his fascist movement.

So, we may be close to the time when we can put out tentative peace feelers to our more reasonable Republican friends, colleagues, and family members. Don’t start out with charges of “racism,” “fascism,” or “I told you so.” We can continue to disagree about the future of our country, but we have rediscovered our essential common ground: defending electoral republicanism against fascism, domestic and foreign. We may even agree that State Legislatures cannot overrule valid elections.

And for this possible sea change in public opinion, Ukraine deserves a lot of credit by demonstrating what real patriotic virtue looks like.