Political commentators like Megan McArdle needing access to politicians have no knowledge of violent right wing extremism. As violence drove Hitler’s rise in Germany violence now drives what is still called the Republican Party.

Republicans publicly rejecting Trump need 24-7 bodyguards for themselves and their families. The cost of 24-7 bodyguards limits speaking out against Trump to wealthy Republican officials like Mitt Romney. 

“Violence and threats against elected leaders are suppressing the emergence of a pro-democracy faction of the GOP,” writes Rachel Kleinfeld, an expert on political violence at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. Absent threats, Kleinfeld argues, a move to Trump from inside the party — perhaps a more serious challenge in the presidential primary — might have had a better chance of getting off the ground. 

In her paper, Kleinfeld notes a striking example of this effect at work — a comment by Kim Ward, the Trump-supporting Republican leader of the Pennsylvania state Senate, on what would happen if she spoke out against the former president.

“I’d get my house bombed tonight,” Ward said.

FROM:

How death threats get Republicans to fall in line behind Trump

The insidious way violence is changing American politics — and shaping the 2024 election.

Zack Beauchamp. Jan 2, 2024, 7:00am EST

Trump has hijacked the Republican Party utilizing violent extremist anti-government white supremacy. Death threats to Republican officials & their families force them into subjugation under Trump.

“Democrats’ reason for keeping the show going is simple. They are stuck with President Biden because he’s stuck with the charmless and inept vice president he chose four years ago for reasons of coalitional politics. For the same reasons, she cannot be replaced with someone who could easily beat Donald Trump.

Republicans’ reason is more interesting — and longer-lasting. Republicans are stuck with Trump because their party has been unable to overcome its collective action problem.

For nine years now, they’ve known that they’d all be better off with Trump gone but also that anyone who tried to make that happen would risk the anger of his voters.”

MAGA TRUMPERS BACK UP THEIR ANGER WITH VIOLENCE. - Jim Pitcherella

“So individual politicians keep retreating to the same playbook: stay quiet on the sidelines in hopes that fate will intervene or that someone else will muster the courage to take him out. This is both morally derelict and ineffective…

As I say, however, recriminations are mostly pointless. We are where we are, and Trump is where he is — which is to say, poised to do further damage to his party and his country. We will remain stuck in reruns until Republicans find some way to overcome the forces arrayed against institutional cohesion, unite as a party and get rid of him, together.”

YOU GET RID OF TRUMP BY PUTING HIM IN PRISON.  THE COMING DEMOCRATIC PARTY LANDSLIDE OF 2024 BEGINS THE LONG ROAD TO REBUILDING DEMOCRACY IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA - 

Jim Pitcherella

 MORE AT:

The Washington Post

Opinion Why haven’t Republicans unified to stop Trump? Because they can’t.

Megan McArdle

January 29, 2024 at 6:15 a.m. EST