JANUARY 8, 2021, KEIZERTIMES, PAGE A5
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House Republicans
splitting apart from
President Trump
Are ‘Never Trumpers’ the future of the GOP?
have a future.
By PATRICK J. BUCHANAN
What followed?
When Congress votes to declare
Richard Nixon, who had stood by
Joe Biden the next president, Donald
Goldwater when the party’s liberal
Trump is not going to go quietly.
The anti-Trumpers and “Never elite abandoned him, would lead the
Trumpers” are assuring each other that GOP to recapture 47 House seats in
Trumpism and Trump are dead and 1966, take the presidency in 1968, and
run up a 49 state landslide
gone for good in two weeks.
in 1972.
The future of the GOP,
Thus began a period of
they suggest, belongs to the
guest GOP
presidential ascen-
Republicans who resisted and
renounced Trump through the
column dancy, with Nixon, Reagan
and Bush I winning fi ve of
last fi ve years of his candidacy
six elections from 1968 to
and presidency.
As for those cowards and collabora- 1988, until the fi rst baby boomer presi-
tors who stood by Trump and refused dent, Bill Clinton, arrived on the scene.
And while there are differences be-
to repudiate him, they will, in turn, be
repudiated by history and the Ameri- tween now and then, there are many
similarities.
can electorate alike.
Do the anti-Trumpers or “Never
The wish, here, is very much the fa-
Trumpers” represent the future of the
ther to the thought.
For if the past is any guide, not only GOP? If so, where is the postwar prec-
are the reports of the death of Trump- edent for this? No Republican who
ism premature, the probability is that turned his back on Goldwater was ever
Trumpism has put down roots in our nominated for president or vice presi-
national politics that are not soon, if dent following Goldwater’s defeat.
When President Gerald Ford put
ever, going to be pulled up.
For those of us of a certain age, a Rockefeller on his ticket after taking
comparable situation arose at Christ- over from President Nixon, the Kan-
mas 1964. Barry Goldwater had just sas City convention of 1976 demanded
been crushed in a 44-state landslide, Rockefeller’s removal as the price of
winning the votes of only 27 million party unity.
Rockefeller was sacrifi ced, as the
Americans. The senator had carried
only fi ve states of the Deep South and right had demanded.
Four years after Ford’s defeat, Mr.
his home state of Arizona.
The establishment saw in the crush- Conservative himself, Ronald Reagan,
ing of Goldwater the defeat and rout Goldwater’s most effective surrogate in
of the “extremist” movement that had 1964, was nominated and won succes-
produced him. The Party That Lost Its sive landslides in 1980 and 1984.
Other factors and forces point to
Head was the title of a widely hailed
post-election book by two Ripon So- the probability that Trumpism has a
major role in the party’s future.
ciety Republicans.
Where Presidents Truman, Nixon,
The establishment consensus was
that Govs. Nelson Rockefeller of New and George W. Bush left offi ce with
York, William Scranton of Pennsylva- approval ratings in the 20s, Trump’s ap-
nia and George Romney of Michigan proval rating is still in the 40s, where it
were the future of the party, if it was to has been for the duration of his presi-
the cracks.
One former student
reached
out telling me the
letters
To the Editor:
Salvation Army had can-
I would like to take this
celed her appointment for
opportunity to thank some
toys for her 3-year-old.
special community individ-
Together, we helped fi ve
uals who stepped up when I
families with a total of 35 members
asked for some help.
and 20 women at a shelter with food
The year 2020 has been specially and Christmas gifts. RJ Navarro and
diffi cult for families and the homeless his volunteers helped an additional 65
who lost jobs and found themselves families.
just “out there.” Several local agencies
The following individuals answered
like the Salvation Army, Keizer Cham- my call to help: Jeanie G. White, Joy
ber of Commerce, Keizer Police and Baird, Karla Tibbits, Terri Fritz, Jes-
the Keizer Fire District helped many sica Graham Gomez, Dawn Reichle
kids and families but some fell through Baylon, Linda Warner, Joanne Sandhu,
The unselfi shness
of Keizer
dency.
Second, the issues that propelled
Trump to the nomination and the
Oval Offi ce still resonate with the
American people.
Among them are mass migration,
insecure borders and dependency upon
foreign imports for the necessities of
our national life.
Moreover, there is shrinking sup-
port for a foreign policy that has us tied
down militarily in Europe, East Asia
and the Middle East, to fi ght if need be,
in the defense of scores of nations, few
of which have a direct bearing on the
national security of the United States.
Another issue Trump elevated and
exploited that is more acute now than
in 2016, is a distrust of the media, the
“deep state” and the political, cultural
and academic establishments that have
alienated the 74 million who voted for
Trump.
And if the past is prologue, the
Republican Party will make a major
comeback in 2022.
Consider. Two years after his smash-
ing victory over Goldwater, LBJ and
his party lost 47 House seats. Ronald
Reagan, after his landslide in 1980, lost
26 House seats in 1982. After routing
Bush I in 1992, Bill Clinton lost 54
House seats and the Senate. Two years
after winning the presidency, Barack
Obama lost both the House and Sen-
ate in 2014.
Is it likely Joe Biden will be cele-
brating his 80th birthday after making
history by leading his party to control
of Congress in 2022?
For Republicans, the nomination of
2024 is a prize to be sought.
However, if one has spent the last
four years trashing Trump, it may be as
out of reach as it was for Rocky.
for the measure. The cookie is crum-
By DEBRA J. SAUNDERS
“So, we spent a whole election on bling.
Another reason I call it a stunt: It
my side of the fence talking about,
‘We got to fi ght socialism.’ And now likely won’t go anywhere. Senate Ma-
you’re going to throw a half-trillion jority Leader Mitch McConnell put
dollars” with “absolutely no targeting” three Trump asks in one bill—$2,000
for earners hurt economically by the checks, repealing protections for tech
companies like Facebook or Twitter
coronavirus?
under Section 230 of a com-
That’s Rep. Mark Amo-
munications law and estab-
dei, R-Nev., talking about
lishing an election integrity
President Donald Trump’s
other
panel— that should ensure
call for Congress to in-
the package won’t make it to
crease COVID-19 relief
voices
the president’s desk.
checks for individuals from
Stunt No. 2: Trump’s veto
$600 to $2,000.
of the National Defense Au-
“I’m the guy who cam-
paigned for the president, contribut- thorization Act because it did not in-
ed to the president and voted for the clude a repeal of Section 230, which
president,” Amodei offered during a shields tech platforms from legal liabil-
wide-ranging hour-long phone con- ity.
Amodei has a history of supporting
versation last week. The only Repub-
lican in Nevada’s congressional delega- Trump in general but still saying things
tion, Amodei stressed that he wanted your standard MAGA bootlicker would
not say. So while it is not extraordinary
Trump to serve four more years.
But that doesn’t mean Amodei has that the Carson City Republican voted
to vote in lockstep with Trump. As to override Trump’s veto of the defense
Amodei said in a statement released af- spending bill, it is a big deal that 108
ter he voted on Monday against $2,000 House Republicans joined him.
“The Section 230 stuff, I complete-
“helicopter checks,” the Treasury
doesn’t have the money. The measure ly agree with the president,” Amodei
didn’t target workers hurt economical- said—but its repeal has no place in a
ly by the pandemic; it instead targets defense bill.
Did Trump win the 2020 election?
those who earn up to $75,000. He
“No, he lost Nevada,” Amodei re-
would prefer to see funds disbursed to
help stressed-out health care providers. sponded. And the Trump legal team
For the past four years, House repeatedly has lost as it appealed states’
Republicans have groveled readily decisions in court.
Amodei feels for Vice President
every time Trump engaged in an at-
tention-grabbing stunt. In this case, Mike Pence, who, on Jan. 6, did what
the stunt was a demand for $2,000 then-Vice President Al Gore did in
check—after Trump’s own team had 2001 after George W. Bush won the
negotiated a deal with $600 stimulus White House, and what then-Vice
checks and the COVID-19 bill had President Joe Biden did in 2017 when
reached his desk. Indeed, Trump is de- progressive Democrats challenged
manding the larger haul even though Trump’s victory as the fruit of Russian
interference.
he signed the bill.
Amodei resented Democrats whose
But this time, Trump’s antics are
not working so well. Sure, 44 House “resist” movement tried to de-legit-
Republicans voted with House Dems imize Trump’s 2016 victory for four
for the bigger checks. But 130 GOP years. So he offered, “I’m not going to
turn around and become what I was so
members voted no.
Amodei told me the White House offended by.”
Smart and principled.
didn’t lobby for his support on the bill,
(Creators Syndicate)
and GOP leaders didn’t whip support
Share your opinion
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sudoku
(Creators Syndicate)
Jennifer Luth, Megan Kay, Keizer
Family Dental, Maggie Paolucci, Kim
Reyes and Roland Herrera.
I got a call from the director of
the women’s shelter and I had tears in
my eyes. The women have had a very
diffi cult year and our presents to them
brought tears to their eyes because
someone cared enough to think of
them. I don’t think they have gotten
Christmas presents in a very long time.
My heart is full of gratitude for the
generosity these individuals showed
during this time of need.
Carrie Lee Brown
Keizer
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