Assessing the Republican Party

I read John Cline’s letter in last week’s Weekly News, in which he accused editor Ken Stern of indiscriminately bashing Republicans. I then reread Stern’s editorial. It warned of the danger of mob rule and disrespect for the law. Not once did he use the word “Republican” but Cline, for reasons known only to him, seems to believe that the column is a direct attack on his party and him personally as a Republican.

Though Mr. Stern did not bash Republicans, I will be glad to. Here at home, Skagit Republican chair Bill Bruch maintained that the insurrectionists on Jan. 6 were “antifa sympathizers” (Skagit Valley Herald, Jan. 13, 2021) and over half of Republicans still believe this (Reuters, June 9, 2022). Even now, the local party’s position is that the 2020 presidential election was stolen. An overwhelming majority of Republicans agree (The Hill, Dec. 30, 2021).

The Texas Republican Party states that Texas has the right to secede and that Biden is an illegitimate president. In his four years as President Trump told over 30 thousand lies (Washington Post, Jan. 24, 2021). Then and now, he has complete disregard for the truth.

One hundred and forty seven House Republicans refused to certify Biden’s election, even after numerous courts and Republican election officials repeatedly verified that there was no significant fraud. Trump himself tried to bully officials in Georgia and Arizona to overturn the results of a fair election. A number of Republicans have campaign ads showing them shooting guns at targets bearing the faces of prominent Democrats. Classy, eh?

Amid all the spluttering about having his political position and his party “maligned, hectored and simplistically caricatured” (again, Stern never used the word “Republican”) Cline maintains that the Republican Party is not responsible for the “erosion of the rule of law.” Really?

Election deniers, pathological liars, conspiracy theorists, “gun clingers” and white nationalists are absolutely at the forefront of today’s Republican party, still headed by Trump. “Lie down with dogs, wake up with fleas,” as the saying goes. This is your party, Mr. Cline, these are the folks who run it – just be honest and own it.

Tony Harrah

Greater La Conner