Donald Trump has already unmasked the Republican “evangelical” voter as a bigot who buys into the dogma for the oppression of others, not the glory of God. And now he’s about to force “movement conservatives” to reveal themselves to be partisan hacks who are more concerned with preserving their “team” than their nation.
Sure, right now George Will is calling for Trump to lose all 50 states, Bill Kristol is openly pining for Ben Sasse to run as a third-party candidate, and Paul Ryan is saying that he can’t support Trump “yet.” But these guys will most likely come to support Trump in the end. They’ve invested too much time demonizing the Democratic Party, and the Clintons in particular, to turn back now.
And the thing that will bring them all together — after much alleged “deliberation” and assorted hand wringing — will be the Supreme Court. They will say that they disagree with some of Trump’s policies and his manner, but that gosh darn it, the Supreme Court is just too important to leave it in the hands of Clinton (and potentially a Democratic Senate). They will reluctantly be forced to cast their ballot for Trump. “What choice do we have,” they will say.
When you hear it, and you will hear it, step back and think about how cynical the argument is. Republicans will be saying that it’s okay to put the Executive Office — the Office that gets to launch nuclear weapons and roll Easter eggs with our children — in the hands of a madman because they want to keep control of the least accountable branch of government. It’s a “salt the Earth” strategy: get a right-wing Court to blunt the effect of all the un-conservative things the Republican primary voters have actually supported.
Don’t forget, if these people really believed in the Supreme Court as an institution — as opposed to just a “last chance” branch to force through policies they couldn’t win at the polls — these guys would already be supporting Obama’s current nominee, Merrick Garland. Anybody actually concerned with the proper functioning of the Court would be willing to give Garland a vote, at the very least. Garland is far more qualified for the job he’s trying to get than Trump is for the job he wants.
It might sound like “smart” neo-con realpolitik to nominate a term-limited executive to get a few more shots at lifetime Supreme Court appointments. But focusing on the Court actually represents the conservatives doubling down on the same social wedge issue politics that created Donald Trump in the first place.
Guns, abortions, and gays. “GAG” orders. That’s what the conservatives want the Court for. They are willing to put a xenophobic, snake oil salesman in the Oval Office so long as NOBODY has to bake a cake for a gay person. Alienate the fastest growing minority group in the country for a generation? Well, as long as the NRA keeps the Court.
Acting like the culture war issues are more important than economic policy, regulatory reform, and official competence is exactly how the Republican Party created the environment in which Donald Trump could rise. It’d be one thing if the conservatives wanted the Court to keep rolling back on class certification for injured plaintiffs (and they want that too), but nobody can really say that protecting DuPont from class-action lawsuits is worth elevating a foul-mouthed television star into power.
But forcing rape victims to have children? Yeah. That is a principle they’ll be saying makes it worth risking a Trump presidency. And they wonder why the GOP base that actually agrees with that crap flatly rejected competent Republican candidates.
Trump, who is ignorant but not dumb, you know, is already preparing for this. He says he plans to name a potential slate of Supreme Court nominees for the convention. That should time out just right. Ryan et al get to pretend that they have principles that they are really wrestling with for a couple of months. Then Trump puts out a list that has (his words): “wonderful, conservative, good, solid, brilliant judge[s].” And then Ted Cruz will come out and say:
“I opposed Donald with all my heart. [pause] But when I look at the Supreme Court [awkward Ted Cruz pause] and the possibility of losing our conservative principles [unsettling Cruz stare] for a generation [raising voice like a robot programed to strike] I MUST support [it’s alive, folks] Donald J. Trump [a normal person would stop right now] for President [okay] of the United States [JESUS ALREADY] of America.”
When Republicans say, “I’m voting for Trump because of the Supreme Court,” you should hear, “I have learned nothing from the Donald Trump takeover of my Party, and I don’t really care so long as we win.”
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