Opinion: What has gotten into Ron Johnson?

[Poiuyt]

by Karen Tumulty

What has gotten into Ron Johnson?
That is a question that mystifies some of those who counted themselves as enthusiastic supporters of Wisconsin’s Republican senator back when he entered politics a little more than a decade ago.

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So what gives with Johnson and the change that has taken over him in recent years? “To be honest, I just don’t know,” says Charlie Sykes, who as an influential conservative radio talk show host in Wisconsin was among Johnson’s earliest boosters. “He was very mainstream, a free-market-driven business guy who would have reflected the Wall Street Journal editorial pages.”

While Johnson insists he is simply raising questions that deserve examination, not embracing conspiracy theories upon which those questions are based, “what he’s doing is he is throwing chum into the water. He knows what he is doing,” Sykes said.

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The senator appears to have decided that his best hope for survival is to stir up the Trump base. But his antics are just as likely to bring more Democrats to the polls, which many Wisconsin Republicans fear could create problems for the rest of the state’s GOP ticket, and potentially doom their hopes of winning back the governorship.

How all of this works out will be worth watching, and not just for how it affects an important Senate seat. Johnson is giving us an ideal test case that will show how well Trumpism plays in the post-Trump era.

https://iowa.forums.rivals.com/threads/opinion-what-has-gotten-into-ron-johnson.351177/

Nice article, but I would have liked to have heard her opinion on why he changed so much. Has something happened to his brain or are his delusional rantings a political ploy to tap into Trump's delusional cult?

[tblue37]

1. Kompromat. He was one of the guys who went to Russia on the Fourth of July, I think.

[PatSeg]

9. Yes, that was the first thing that popped in my head

We've seen so much of this in the past four years and all the symptoms are really obvious. Johnson is still the person he used to be, but now he is compromised and apparently he is seriously compromised.

Bought, bribed, or blackmailed, he belongs to Putin now.

[sboatcar]

16. Yeah, I honestly think he invited them there with seemingly good intentions

and then said "This is what we have on you, do what we say or everyone finds out"

[PatSeg]

18. Yes, he looks like the kind of smuck

that Russians like to recruit, an unwitting idiot. Eventually said idiot is in so deep, he can't back out. Russians are masters at this game.

[lagomorph777]

12. Yeah, I don't think Putin could have made that happen without some serious Kompromat.

Maybe something tied to Epstein?

[MineralMan]

2. Perhaps he got some unwanted news on his trip to Russia?

That's my guess. He is in good company in that regard, I'm certain.

[Tbear]

11. Mmm-hmm. Yes.

[catbyte]

3. I don't know about the whole "reasonable businessman" thing.

I've always thought he was a douchebag and couldn't for the life of me figure out why the hell Wisconsinites elected him instead of Russ Feingold.

[Cuthbert Allgood]

13. Wisconsin is solidly purple.

You will see a lot of flux in the state from election to election.

And he is a horrible businessman. I mean, he made a lot of money, but he screwed Oshkosh.

[Laurelin]

4. Wasn't he one of the group

That republicans thought was most likely owned by Russia? I thought he made the list of Most Likely to be Putin's.

[Johnny2X2X]

5. He's an anti American Trumpster

He chose to love Trump more than he loves America.

[patphil]

6. I agree, he didn't always act this way, but then he took a hard right and put the pedal to the metal

Now it seems he wants to be the head lemming in the Republican rush over the cliff.

[tanyev]

7. Many Russian rubles.

[SoonerPride]

8. He eats lead paint chips with guac

[ScratchCat]

10. The more time that passes

And as every one of those Republicans who went to Russia on the 4th of July continue to carry water for Russia at every turn, seemingly throwing away their careers and reputations, its seems 90% likely that those idiots allowed themselves to get involved in "something" that seriously compromised them and would end it all. There is just no other rational explanation. Its like clockwork - anything that is remotely tied to Trump and Russia, they are the first to do back flips and moan about nonsense. And it has to be more than campaign money. Every one of these jackbobs looks and acts like their are photos and videos out there that they don't want public.

[sboatcar]

17. Do we have a list of who all went to russia?

[Cuthbert Allgood]

14. There are rumors he wants to run for governor.

Maybe he thinks the Trump base is his best bet.

[gibraltar72]

15. Rubles.