I’ve been quiet the past few weeks — mainly because there has been very little that you needed to hear to help better understand the state of politics and the media.
I’ve been busy launching my annual course on American conservatism, and doing some writing for other publications — including this review of a very good new book on the anti-tax movement and why it matters for the Washington Post.
But I’d have carved out time to write here if the news warranted saying something. Instead, while there has been a lot of news and faux drama tied to both the presidential race and the mess that is Capitol Hill, it’s all linked to themes that won’t be new to anyone who has been here for a while.
The Republican Party is an absolute mess, incapable of governing. The failure of the Senate border policy deal, which was a total giveaway to the GOP (as I explained here), was a massive political blunder (as I explained here) that threw President Biden a life preserver on his worst issue. But it was par for the course from a party in which the extremist wing plays the hardest of hard ball, while the less extreme wing rolls over.
I feel like a broken record, but unless and until that changes, things will only continue to get worse in terms of the GOP’s ability to govern and its extremism. At this point, maybe only a long electoral losing streak could pull the party back toward the center. One reason there has been a spate of retirements among House Republicans is that their caucus is an utter disaster and anyone with any interest in actual governance has to be beyond frustrated. Paradoxically, however, as serious legislators flee, it will only make things worse as extremists gain even more control.
There is lots of coverage about the flailing GOP in the 28 articles from 19 publications and four tweets below. It includes two pieces on reaction to the flailing of Speaker Mike Johnson, as well as a deep dive into the abrupt about face from Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) on aid to Ukraine, and how it exposes Donald Trump’s ever increasing grip on the GOP. There is a sharp story by a veteran Capitol Hill scribe exploring whether the Senate — which has remained far more stable than the House — has now succumb to the incapacity spawned by the rise of Trump and Trumpism. There is also an important dive into the open bigotry spouted by Republican members of Congress, stuff that a decade or two ago would’ve been unfathomable in the open in Congress, and even a look at how Trump’s rise has sapped the right wing Heritage Action of its potency on Capitol Hill.
I’ve also included a profile of Republican Rep. Marc Molinaro, who epitomizes how today’s “moderate” Republicans shouldn’t be labeled as such, because they are far to the right of Republicans of yesteryear and not real ideological moderates. There is also an analysis of how Republicans have held Europe hostage — something that has only gotten more true since the border deal collapsed.
One thing to realize about all of this Republican dysfunction: it poses enormous problems for our democracy. And it’s worth underscoring what some of the GOP’s biggest backers want: a theocracy, where their moral values are imposed on the rest of us — even if they have to shove them down the throats of the majority of Americans.
That’s the only conclusion one can draw from one of the must reads of the week: a long read profile of a little known Texas billionaire who might be the most influential figure in state politics. The other must read of the week reveals the consequences of this kind of politics by chronicling a year in the life of a woman unable to have an abortion because of Tennessee’s abortion ban.
You’ll find no articles on the hottest topic among the pundit class: whether President Biden ought to step aside. This chatter is utterly meaningless. For now, Biden’s not stepping aside. There is a remote possibility that if his polling doesn’t improve by midsummer he might reconsider, but that’s a decision where the only opinions that matter are those of Biden, his family, and his close, longtime advisers.
Frankly, most of the punditry on this topic stems from one thing: there is precious little actual, meaningful campaign news to debate and dissect. Nikki Haley fights on, but the Republican race is over. And Biden has just been a minimal drama president. It’s one reason voters don’t know about much of what he’s done: it’s not very colorful, nor does Biden create the sort of bombshell leak stuff that the media loves the most. Instead, it’s steady, solid policy achievements that most Americans would approve of if they knew it was happening.
All of this is why Biden’s polling may yet rebound, and why the freak out about his age is, at the very least, premature.
So what else is below instead of the countless think pieces calling for Biden to step aside?
A lot of really meaty journalism — the sort of stuff that might not receive a lot of attention, but which has actual, useful information that will make you more knowledgeable and better informed about an array of political and media topics.
Keep reading with a 7-day free trial
Subscribe to The World According to Brian to keep reading this post and get 7 days of free access to the full post archives.