Are we seeing some pushback against GOP overreach?
By Sid Schwab / Herald columnist
Few who know me would call me a political optimist. But it may be — might be, could possibly be within the realm of imagination, that something I’ve hoped for, written about, hallucinated, has become, to some extent, in moments unburdened by the signs and sounds of democracy’s death-knell — thinkable.
As Republicans have no positive agenda other than tax cuts, voter suppression and vengeance, nothing to offer average Americans beyond a tsunami of lies and anger, I’ve thought it possible they’d eventually overplay their hand. They’d mistake the undying devotion of the Foxified 30 percent for a free pass. They’d loose upon us such outrageously undemocratic and repugnant behavior that reasonable people, formerly inclined in their direction, would awaken to the danger they represent to our teetering democracy. If there’s a glimmer of hope, we have the Tennessee legislature, Rep. Jim Jordan, Texas’ federal Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk and Gov. Greg Abbott to thank. Among others.
In Tennessee, after what was then (no longer) the latest mass murder, school children and their parents marched on the state capitol to demand action. From the floor of the legislature (how dare they?) three of the greatly outnumbered Democrats showed their approval for the protest, raising their fists Josh Hawley-Jan. 6-style and, worse, shouting.
Given several less punitive options for reprimanding the besmirching of hallowed ground, Republicans unanimously expelled the two male Democrats whose skin color differed, darkly, from the female other and from their own. Intra- and outré- state outrage was immediate. And, to all but those legislators, so sure of their God-given power to do whatever they wanted, predictable. Because even among today’s Republicans, there are some who favor democracy and at least minimal gun regulations. Then, improbably, their pro-gun governor announced support for background checks and red-flag laws. It took the murder of a friend of his wife, but still.
https://www.heraldnet.com/opinion/schwab-are-we-seeing-some-pushback-against-gop-overreach/
