George Will: “I Would Like To See January 6th Burned Into the American Mind as Firmly as 9/11”

Appearing on ABC News’ “This Week,” ultraconservative columnist George Will told the roundtable participants that the bipartisan commission to investigate the causes of the deadly riot was controversial among Republicans for one reason:  “We have something new in American history. We have a political party defined by the terror it feels for its own voters. That’s the Republican Party right now.”

Heretofore, the political parties in the United States had succeeded according to their ability to offer voters what they value, and the GOP platform normally consisted of things that were, in fact, highly esteemed to its constituents: limited government, personal accountability, strong national defense, traditional family values, and so forth. Republicans were competitive because there was a fairly equal balance between these ideals and those of the Democrats; a government that works equally for all.

But everything changed when Trump came to town. His core base remains loyal despite his pathological lying and legal woes, but Republican conservatives of intelligence and integrity, like Will, would no more vote for Trump than they would for Kim Jong-un.  Also, Trump’s disapproval rating is so great that he can only win where voter turnout is low.  This is a challenge in and of itself, because he’s so despised that he attracts liberal voters to the polls like jumping salmon attract hungry bears.

Given this, the only option for the GOP is voter suppression, though that has its own issues, starting with the 14th and 15th Amendments to the U.S. Constitution, meaning that most of this will not stand up in court.  On top of that is the horrific PR that accompanies actions like limiting mail-in voting, and removing drop-off boxes and polling places from the neighborhoods that are home to racial minorities and other constituencies that detest Trump.

The happy result is that there is no good answer for the Republicans here, at least until the GOP distances itself from Trump. During this period, Democrats will have an open window of time in which to exercise their agenda.  This becomes all the more true as the Biden administration continues to do things that Americans like: pandemic control, infrastructure jobs, staying away from the world’s dictators, etc.