More than Trump

Free Publicity

Yesterday we had the spectacle of Trump flying from Florida to New York.  He got millions of dollars of free publicity.  Cable news went “all-in” on coverage, with reporters almost on every corner.  I’m surprised they didn’t follow the plane in the air.

Today Trump is the name on the lips of every newscaster and commentator.  The circus is in town.  MSNBC is filling “dead air” until 2:15 when the actual indictment will be read.  Again, another day of all-Trump, all of the time.  Give the Trump folks this:  they’re definitely making lemonade out of lemons.  After all, he is going to be indicted in Criminal court today.

So until 2:15 there’s really not much to say about that, though they are saying it anyway.  

MAGA

While Trump himself is in trouble, “MAGA – ism” is alive and well in the United States.  How strong is “MAGA-ism”?  Of all of the “leaders” of the GOP, only three have stepped up to say Trump should end his run for a second term. Only Asa Hutchinson, Chris Sununu, and John Kasich, if he’s still considered a Republican, have the courage of their convictions.   The rest have jumped on the bandwagon:  a “political” prosecution, a “Soros backed” prosecutor, charges even the “Democrat (sic) Justice Department wouldn’t bring”.

All of those others, from DeSantis to Pence to Huckabee-Sanders, aren’t “Trump lovers”.  But they are “Trump voter lovers”, and they know that MAGA voters control the Republican primaries.   They are not afraid of “fear itself”, they are afraid of offending MAGA voters and losing elections.  It is, in fact, the absolute truth of our times here in the early twenty-first century:  it’s all about getting elected.  The “Profiles in Courage” of other generations don’t seem to inhabit our current politics, at least not much on the Republican side.  

Ohio Pride

Here in Ohio, we take some “pride” in not being as “extremist” as other states – like Florida.  But the reality is that the Ohio State government, dominated top to bottom by gerrymander protected Republicans, may be even farther “right” than the Sunshine State.  Florida passed a no-license concealed carry law this week.  Ohio passed that law a year ago:

As of June 13, 2022, anyone 21-years-of-age or older who is not prohibited from firearm possession under state and federal law, and meets the definition of a “qualifying adult,” may carry a firearm in public without a permit or background check (Giffords).

The Florida Senate just passed a ban on abortions after six-weeks.  Ohio’s had that law for years, the so-called Heartbeat Law (though there isn’t really a heartbeat in a six week-old fetus).  It’s still tied up in Court, but when it finally clears, it will be the law here.  And while Ohio hasn’t “caught up” to Florida’s “Don’t Say Gay” bill yet, that’s coming.  The state Board of Education somehow, some way, ended up with a Democratic majority.  So the state Republican legislature is working to remove most of the Board’s authority to control school curriculums.  They’ll never call it “Don’t Say Gay” in Ohio, but the ultimate impact will be the same on Ohio schools.

Minority Rule

In fact, Ohio’s Republican legislature wants protection from “majority rule”.  Ohio, like many states, has a referendum process that allows voters to pass laws and Constitutional amendments on a statewide ballot.  Ohio Republicans saw what happened to “Red-Red” Kansas, when a statewide referendum to restrict abortion rights failed 59% to 41%.   Surprise:  here in Ohio there’s a new proposal to require a 60% margin for referendum passage.  Gosh – I wonder where that number came from?

And, of course, Ohio proved its “MAGA-ism” by turning down Democrat Tim Ryan for the United States Senate, and choosing Trump supported JD Vance for the six year term in 2022.  Like the ROYGBIV color spectrum, the state has moved from indigo to violet to red; Trump red, MAGA red.  Ohio Republicans did it with a suit and tie and a hand in the pocket of the power companies instead of a red hat, but MAGA it remains.

Whatever happens to the twice-impeached defeated former President in Court today, or in Atlanta, or in Washington DC in the next few months; he has reshaped the Republican Party in his own image for the next decade (at least).  It doesn’t take Trump to drive MAGA-ism in American life.  His supporters are afraid of progress, afraid of changed demographics, afraid to lose their built-in racial advantage.  And Republican politicians are catering to those fears, some out of true-belief, but many “just” to get the votes to remain in power.  

Trump is the issue of the present, but not the future:  MAGA-ism is.