by Jeffrey A. Rendall
Ever since Ronald Reagan’s 70’s and 80’s campaigns we’ve heard a lot about “Reagan Democrats”. More recently, with the rapid rise of the inimitable Donald J. Trump, the term“Trump Democrats” has also been a common refrain, even among charter members of the establishment media.
But is there any such thing as… “Joe Biden Republicans”?
Don’t laugh. With the internal power struggle in the Republican Party today, it’s certainly possible if not likely that there’s a small but statistically significant group of wishy-washy RINOs who consider themselves more aligned with good ol’ Grampa Joe than they do the generic liberty-touting Republican. We’ve known for a long time that there are many, many so-called GOPers who couldn’t give a rat’s petootie about party planks on the size of government, lower taxes, less regulation, etc.
And social issues? Heck no! These disaffected folks move with the social media fads like willows swaying in the globally warmed breeze.
Championing the pro-life cause, traditional marriage or opposing the peculiar case of biological males identifying as females so they can use public or school gender exclusive restrooms and shower facilities and play sports against humans with less muscle-building, speed enhancing testosterone — that’s so 1950’s oppressive backwards conservatism, isn’t it? (As a side note, ever notice how social conservatives are depicted in the media as missing teeth, speaking with a distinctive country bumpkin dialect and wearing plaid shirts?)
With surveys consistently showing that former president Trump still commands the loyalty and political backing of a strong majority of self-styled Republicans, the anti-Trump crowd is seemingly alone and wandering in the electoral desert. They’re searching in all directions and finding nothing friendly on the horizon. It’s leading them to contemplate what would’ve been unthinkable just six years ago — full-on cooperation with the dark side.
“So why not Biden? Why not Bidenism? That may not turn out to be the end solution. But surely it’s too real a possibility to be ignored. Why shouldn’t anti-Trump Republicans at least consider becoming a kind-of-Old-Republican wing of Joe Biden’s Democratic party?
“Moderate Democrats, historically speaking, get no respect. Sure, they win elections. And they govern pretty successfully. But they get ignored by the media, by their side’s intellectuals, by donors, even by Democratic political pros. And now they’re getting ignored by Never Trumpers.
“Maybe it’s time they get attention and respect. Perhaps anti-Trump can morph into work-with-Biden. Or perhaps not. But it’s worth a look, and even a try.”
Just when you thought the #NeverTrumpers had permanently receded to the background where they belong, you get op-eds like Kristol just published. With the scummy, pox-infested anti-Trump Lincoln Project having been discredited beyond any hope of redemption by homosexual pedophilia and corruption scandals, there just aren’t many alternatives remaining for people with Bill’s mindset. After all, the reason they left the GOP is now out of Washington, isn’t he? Can’t they just declare victory and move on?
Problem: their friendly overtures of a reunion with their former chums have been returned with a profound “Um, no way!” Imagine sending a note to someone you heard was hosting a party for old pals and having him return your gesture covered in bird droppings. Or, something that actually happened, having your army’s surrender demand being sent back by the enemy with a simple reply, “Nuts.” (This happened at the Battle of the Bulge in December, 1944.)
Well, Bill, now you want to come back into the conservative tent and powwow with us like the past half decade didn’t happen and therefore everyone just sits with crossed legs on the floor mat, holds hands and hums along according to cues from the cult leader? … “NUTS!”
Seriously, what’s there to consider? In his piece, Kristol talks like there’s such a thing as a “moderate” Democrat and lumps Nancy Pelosi and “Chucky” Schumer in with Grampa Joe as examples of the type. Granted I haven’t conducted any research on what Bill once portended to believe pre-Trump, but how many times did he find himself in policy agreement with the cabal of current Democrat leaders?
There might be some common ground with the group on the neoconservatives’ thirst for eternal war and the false hope of spreading democracy and liberal values across the globe. Joe Biden did vote to authorize George W. Bush’s Iraq War in 2003. But he wasn’t fine with giving assent to George H.W. Bush’s kick-Saddam-out-of-Kuwait in 1991 (otherwise known as Operation Desert Storm).
Biden is all over the place on foreign policy as evidenced by his contradictory stances on just about every aspect of overseas relations. Poor Joe doesn’t have a clue. He made lots of promises during the campaign but it’s hard being the decider (as GW Bush called himself). No wonder he’s got sidekick Kamala Harris taking solo phone calls from foreign heads of state. He probably figures he’ll nod off in the middle of a conversation if the meeting is scheduled during his nap time.
In essence, there’s no such animal as a “Joe Biden Republican” because there’s no legitimate reason to leave the party that the hated Trump returned to its ideological mooring. For example, how many conservatives approve of what the Biden administration is doing on immigration? Is there a push to join with Joe to abolish any semblance of border enforcement? Is there a groundswell of enthusiasm for welcoming untold thousands/millions of migrants during the COVID-19 pandemic?
How about election reform? We sure as heck won’t get it under Biden and the Democrats’ watch. Conservative leaders have been doing everything short of jumping up and down and waving their hands in the middle of a church sermon to bring attention to the liberals’ disastrous, free speech and privacy squelching H.R. 1/S.R. 1 combo, which would publish the names of charitable donors and impose federal control over elections on every state.
Do Republicans clamor for a repeat of the 2020 election every two or four years? Or, do they want whoever controls Congress to call the shots on local elections? Federal lawmakers haven’t proven proficient on doing much of anything, much less on ensuring elections integrity.
Beyond this, there were solid reasons why working class Democrats left the party to back Ronald Reagan and then Donald Trump. The leftward lurch of the liberal party left them and their everyday concerns behind. The GOP now has become the home for people who actually work for a living, which explains why Kristol and his Bulwark #NeverTrump cohort of boobs, idiots and rejects is now looking at the possibility of becoming “Old-Republican” Democrats.
They opposed Donald Trump because he was anti-war (though pro-strong military, like Reagan) and because he wasn’t “presidential”. But if Kristol had any principles, which clearly he does not, he wouldn’t be encouraging his philosophical brethren to look into coupling with Grampa Joe Biden and Nancy Pelosi. That’s a match that’s doomed to fail in anybody’s estimation.
- Bill Kristol
- Never Trump Republicans
- Lincoln Project
- Donald Trump
- 2024 Election
- Joe Biden
- Biden agenda
- Biden administration
- foreign policy
- neoconservatives
- Liz Cheney
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