▪️ EDITOR’S NOTE: This piece was first published in American Thinker. You can link to it here.▪️
Byron York has written a piece at the Washington Examiner entitled “What if Republicans Lose Both the House and the Senate?” which was good, as far as it went, but it didn’t go far enough.
He writes:
…What if Democrats win? Although there is some internal party debate on this question, there’s a real possibility that a new Democratic majority in the House would impeach Trump for a third time.
Mr. York is likely referring to some postural grumblings the Democrats would like us to think is “debate” but there is really no debate at all. There’s absolutely no question they will impeach Trump if given the House. None. Zero. They will do it. But that’s not even where he was insufficiently cynical.
Let’s continue.
Losing the Senate, on the other hand, would be damaging to Trump…
Aaayup. 100%. But why? Why does Mr. York believe it would it be damaging?
…because he needs to have his nominees — for the courts and his administration — confirmed. A united Democratic majority in the Senate could stop all that cold, and probably would, given the state of today’s politics.
What Mr. York writes is technically true, of course, but that’s not what the only problem would be with losing the Senate. (Heck, Trump’s nominee confirmations have lagged at a record pace even with GOP control.)
Democrats in a Democrat-led Senate, once having received the articles of impeachment from a Democrat-led House, would absolutely vote for Trump’s conviction — but I believe they might have Republican help.
That’s where I think Mr. York earned a score of “incomplete.” He simply wasn’t cynical enough.
I doubt there would be enough GOP votes to reach 67 out of 100, which is the threshold for conviction and removal, but there are enough to help Thune stick it to Trump. And weaken Trump. Nothing would make his RINO conference happier. They haaaaate Trump (and us, by extension).
There is a small population of RINOs with incurable TDS who I believe would vote to convict just to stick it to Trump and MAGA; knowing that there’s that itch among his conference, Thune may just help them by offering them a cushy gig somewhere if that’s what they want: out. Because it surely would be a career-ending vote. Just as it was with so many Democrats with their Obamacare votes. And just like with them, their Leader could give them a soft landing.
Surely there is that combination walking the halls: Senators badly aging, exhausted by MAGA, exhausted by Trump, but not tired of the grift. Thune can get them their grift with a sweet spot on a big corporate board or with a think tank or some such sinecure. It happens all the time.
And Thune would loooove to shiv Trump. Trump has been increasingly brutal on him, and I don’t think he’s done. I think it’s going to get worse: because Thune will continue to foot drag while in the majority. And should he go to the minority Thune will, in Trump’s estimation, be nothing more than a “stone cold loser.” (Can’t you just see the Truth Social posts? Lol)
And who knows? There could be an above zero percent chance that once in the minority, Thune may decide he’s ready for a cushy sinecure himself. Thune is 65 and has been in Washington for 26 years, more than half of his adult life. He often posts pictures of himself and his family. He actually seems to like his family. Maybe he’d be ready for grift closer to home, without the enormous Trump/MAGA headache. It would sound tempting to me if I were him. I understand the allure of power, but if he’s relegated to the minority, that’s a tough demotion for for a Leader, especially one who looks like he gets his face waxed twice a week instead of shaving every morning. I bet he uses department store moisturizer too. Clinique for men. You know the type.
Anyway…
Wouldn’t Thune enjoy casting his own vote to convict on his way out the door? Leading his merry little band of dissenters doing the same thing? On their way to easy riches away from the white hot spotlight? How satisfying for them.
And for the vast majority? The ones who stay? Well, it is hard to believe most rank & file Republicans like being in the minority, but they do. It’s profitable. More profitable than being in the majority. It’s much easier to bitch and moan and fundraise on what you would do than it is to actually deliver. As Sundance at The Conservative Treehouse has so aptly characterized it, Republicans love money, Democrats love power; they are the two wings of the same Uniparty bird and there they go a flying, pooping all over us from a thousand feet high.
Splat. Right there on your windshield.
Honestly, if Republicans were trying to lose, what would they do differently?
Just consider their talk of amnesty recently! But without a doubt the most marquee example of them snatching defeat from the jaws of victory is the Save America Act. Poll after poll shows it has wide support among both parties, around 80% of all us want it but they will absolutely not budge on it.
There is no non-corrupt reason to not pass it.
Normal Republicans in a normal environment in a normal time behaving normally would pass the Save America Act and shove it down Democrats’ throats.
But they don’t. Because they’re corrupt. And because they don’t hate the Democrats.
They hate us.
That’s the difference.
It’s not Republican vs. Democrat.
It’s us vs. them.
And Senate Republicans have clearly stopped giving AF.
And we, as a Republic, are at a breaking point.
So the next time you see that white splat on your windshield, understand that it’s from a Uniparty bird. And when we see Trump’s trial in the Senate, we can expect that bird to tilt right, right towards us.
Splat.