Supporting Liz Cheney is an essentially painless exercise for any Democrat. It costs us nothing, it has no calories, and no one, not for one second, thinks we actually want Liz Cheney to do anything but be a thorn in Republicans side.
That's because Liz is terrifying.
Oh sure, we don't like to talk about it... now, anyway. But Liz is tough and hard edged and scary and she knows it and we all know she's like that because that's what she was taught. She's the warmonger's warmonger. She's the Red Scare's Red Scare. (And via her mom, she's The Iron Lady's Iron Lady.) It's why Liz was elected to leadership - she's a woman, she's got clear connections to everything her Death Star building father still runs with a private cabal, and she scares the bejeezus out of everyone, but especially Democrats. Look at her, standing there behind Kevin McCarthy, lips pursed and a thousand mile stare of disapproval. "All of these pantywaists disappoint me," one imagines her thinking. "Things will be much different when I'm finally in charge."
And for anyone who thinks that next week's vote to replace her will slow or quash those plans... think again. (And then go rewatch Dick)
You may think it's remarkable that she's stuck to her guns (now there's a phrase Liz owns: "she stuck to her guns" could go on her tombstone), but why would she not? Donald Trump is just about everything she despises in people, never mind Republicans - he's weak, he lies, he thinks he deserves all the power... need I go on? Liz believes things, believes in things. Truth. Justice. The American Way. Her unfettered access to global power. At a moment when liars and thieves and morally bankrupt sycophants hijacked her party, Liz stood firm. Because that's what she does. And frankly. that's what Republicans used to stand for. So who's wrong here?
I kid (a little), but here's the thing: Democrats supporting Liz Cheney is mischievous in its way, but she's right and so are we: truth matters. The lies matter. Liz has already made it clear: she's going to see her leadership post taken away and she's not going to stand in the way of other people's downward spiral. But Liz has power and Liz has weight and she's making her removal vote explicitly a choice to back Trump and The Big Lie. And it will stick, and it will work, and her bet that they'll lose (that is, the weak people too scared to see she's right) will happen and one day, not too far away, she will be standing when all else has fallen.
I'm with her. One doesn't expect bravery, or intelligent good sense from a Kevin McCarthy... but some of these people simply know better and are too scared to do what's right. Elise Stefanik isn't dumb, but she is letting her ambition and her willingness to pander to Trump's worst impulses overwhelm her own good sense. This is the thing about a male dominated system - it makes it hard for women to stick together. Liz knows that all too well. It's every man for himself, and if Elise has to pay for this, then one day, she will. Stefanik has had a nice run as a canny outsider willing to mouth off to power. But deep scrutiny and a starring role achieved through a good old fashioned knife in the back probably won't look great on her. She's not ready to play the kind of role Liz played, Harvard degree or no. And that's the kind of thing you know when you're Liz.
True, Liz isn't warm or fuzzy; it's her Achilles heel, the thing that's made it hard for her to succeed as a retail politician. It took a while to win statewide, even in Wyoming, and the right combination of warmer and pandering to oil money could knock her off... but she's awfully good at the latter herself. Trump may yet get his wish to destroy her congressional career by bigfooting her House race; but it's short sighted and a waste of time and resources. Cheney is reliably Republican (that's how you get into leadership), and the seat is ridiculously safe. A Donald Trump who spends enormous amounts of time and money crushing Liz Cheney is a guy who misses the fact that you could lose Liz and wind up with nothing to show for it: a House without Liz where Republicans are still in the minority is a House where Democrats will have an easier time taking control. Liz is the one who can actually, thoughtfully fight most liberal policy ideas, with her tough comments, and yes, that thousand yard stare. They need that. Desperately.
So go ahead, Republicans. Defuse your own best nuclear weapon. Denude yourselves of the toughness and experience and canny ability to speak plainly and honestly about the things you used to hold most dear. Take out Liz Cheney for nothing more than refusing to join the Big Lie and worship at the (spray painted) golden door to Mar A Lago. In exchange you get several used golf courses, some aging bottle blondes in spike heels... and the loss of anything like your dignity and good sense.You leave Liz at your own peril. But not ours.
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