I see that Rep. Jeff Duncan has given Chad Connelly a boost — at least, I assume it constitutes a boost — in his efforts to differentiate himself from the crowd seeking the GOP nomination for Mick Mulvaney’s seat.
But that endorsement isn’t what interests me. What interests me is this language that Duncan used in making the endorsement:
Duncan believes Connelly, a former chairman of the state GOP, would work with him and President Donald Trump to “drain the swamp, secure our borders, and limit government.”
There’s nothing terribly surprising that one Tea Party Class Republican would use those terms in speaking of another of his party.
I just think it’s worth noting that this is where we are now. Which means we’re a long, long way from the Trump nightmare being over.
It won’t be over, of course, until he is gone from office, and gone in a way that even his supporters are glad to see him go.
That won’t happen as long as Republicans are invoking his name and using his talking points to praise each other. (At least, the first two are Trumpisms. The third point, “limit government,” is just one of those things some Republicans say the way other people clear their throats.)
They won’t go immediately from this point to denouncing him, mind you. If and when things start to get better, the first sign will be simply tactfully neglecting to mention him. That will be promising. Then they will mildly demur. Then they will hesitantly denounce, and so forth.
The White House currently is a raging cauldron, a place that emits chaos the way a volcano emits lave. At any time, it is likely to generate the Tweet or other eruption that will be the beginning of the end.
But obviously, it’s going to be a long journey…
Congressman Jeff Duncan Endorses Chad Connelly from UTPL on Vimeo.
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I wrote that post before actually listening to the video, which raises another point.
As political endorsements go, this sounds more like a couple of Southern Baptists “witnessing” before a potluck supper in the Fellowship Hall. Apparently, that arises from factors that form the basis of the relationship between the two men.
I’m not complaining; they seem quite sincere. I’m just saying it caused me to raise an eyebrow — in part because we Catholics generally don’t talk that way (although I recognize the mode of discourse from the days when I was baptized in a Baptist Church).
And if it did that, it’s probably going to give some of my more secular friends here on the blog the fantods…
Which means we’re a long, long way from the Trump nightmare being over.
-Brad
Dude, you really, really don’t get it do you? This isn’t just about Trump. This nightmare is about an entire political party that’s lost its way. He may be the Darth Vader within the evil empire but the empire is more than one dark, evil man. It’s an empire that spans an entire continent with tentacles that reach into the heart and soul of this great nation. Duncan and Connelly are the storm troopers who will carry on with their diabolical plans regardless of who occupies the Death Star, I mean whitehouse.
Our only hope is the intrepid band of Jedis, I mean Democrats, with their limited resources and long odds that they must bravely toil on, inspired by the force of the American voter. But this force can only be channeled effectively if we empower the ragtag Jedi, I mean Democrats. Darth Trump may be the most important member of the empire but he is not alone. The entire empire needs to be defeated.
“Our only hope is the intrepid band of Jedis, I mean Democrats, with their limited resources and long odds that they must bravely toil on, inspired by the force of the American voter. But this force can only be channeled effectively if we empower the ragtag Jedi, I mean Democrats.”
If I become a Democrat, do I get a lightsaber? I mean, that would be a pretty tough offer to turn down. Although, if the Republicans offer me one of those awesome AT-AT walkers, that would be a hard decision. I mean, an AT-AT walker would make getting to Harbison at 5:00PM super easy.
I know what you’re thinking. Why not get a TIE fighter, Bryan? I’ll tell you: You don’t really have much cargo space in a TIE fighter. Sure, you can zip over to Haribson really easily, but once you get there, you’re pretty much stuck buying what you could fit in a shopping bag. With an AT-AT walker, you’ve got tons of payload capacity.
I’m trying to be practical, y’all. 🙂
To borrow from another classic – Practical is as Practical does. As long as I get the Millennium Falcon Bryan you can pick your weapon of choice. Just call me bud Solo.
NERDS!!!
Which makes me ask, was the term “nerd” really used in the 1950’s and 1960’s or was it a term coined by Happy Days? Next we’ll discuss “sit on it”.
Actually the Trump administration has embraced “limited government” big time in Bannon’s self-proclaimed intention of “deconstructing the administrative state.” Proposed major cuts in EPA, State Department, etc., respond to the limited government theme.
Jeff Duncan (“my“ congressman) is a holy warrior for the gospel of Republicanism. GovTrack’s ideology scale rates him as the most far-right member of Congress. For him, movement conservatism is his true religion. The way he talks in this video is not just a “mode of discourse,” it’s an expression of the way he turns the Bible into a tract supporting strictly limited government and laissez-faire fundamentalism. God’s will and the American Way (as he defines it) are one in the same. So like all ideologues, he cannot be reasoned with.