It is quite incredible to see the hole that the Republican party has dug itself into. Trump, as a charismatic fascist leader, has a large and vociferous fanatical following.
The extreme fascist tendency that began with the Tea Party is now a majority of Republicans. It has been consolidated under the extreme nationalistic movement – MAGA – Make America Great Again. The traditional conservative Republicans are now a minority in the party. Without support from the Trumpist wing no Republican can become elected. So they hold the power.
Any Republican who votes against Trump is met with a tirade of threats and threat of deselection.
McConnell is two-faced and exemplifies the cowardice and self-interest that pervades the party.
McConnell was unequivocal about Mr. Trump’s responsibility for initiating the insurrection and orchestrating a coup. “There is no question, none, that President Trump is practically and morally responsible for provoking the events of the day,” he said, and added that Mr. Trump watched the events unfold on television. “A mob was assaulting the Capitol in his name,” he said. “These criminals were carrying his banners, hanging his flags and screaming their loyalty to him.”
“This was an intensifying crescendo of conspiracy theories orchestrated by an outgoing president who seemed determined to either overturn the voters’ decision or else torch our institutions on the way out,” McConnell said.
But McConnell argued that he believed it was unconstitutional to convict a president who was no longer in office.
So McConnell knew Trump was guilty and abhorred what he had done bur recognised that in order to have a political career he had to vote to acquit.
Where does the morally bereft Republican Party go from here? Does it become more fascist and oust it’s conservative wing? Does it fight back against the fascists and reinstitute traditional conservative values and repudiate fascism? Or does it split into two – neither of which is likely to be electable?
We’ll see if there is any morality left, won’t we?