Tuesday, May 18, 2021

Could a New New GOP Challenge the New GOP?

So, if a voter considers himself conservative and generally votes Republican but is dismayed by what has happened to the party in the past six months, or the past five years, or perhaps even since the time of Reagan, does he have options? People like Evan McMullin of Utah and as many as one-hundred Republican leaders, including former officials and legislators, believe a split from the party may be necessary and even feasible. The recent vote by the House GOP and minority leader Kevin McCarthy to replace Representative Lynn Cheney in her leadership role has accelerated discussions among Republicans and authentic conservatives about how to wrest control of the party from Donald Trump and his sycophants. 

I wonder.

Many people have appreciated the voice of dissent mounted by Evan McMullin since the rise of Trump, and much like his quixotic quest to deny the man of Mar-o-Lago the nomination, McMullin seems to believe there is hope for a new option or even a new party for conservatives. Of course, the viability of a third party to effectively challenge the two-party system is highly doubtful, just ask the Green and Libertarian parties. And in a political climate that practically depends on tribalism and demonization of the other side, it seems unlikely enough voters would risk losing elections to cleanse the party from the influence of Trump. 

So, I wonder.


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