"This manifests itself in a variety of different ways, of course. Progressives believe Mitch McConnell is a big meanie who routinely ate Chuck Schumer's lunch when the Kentuckian was still his party's leader in the Senate. Conservatives believe he is a RINO whose commitment to "muh principles" meant Republicans had to play by rules Democrats would violate with reckless abandon. (Filibuster? More like old and busted!)"
"President Donald Trump has solved this problem for some Republicans, but not all of them and maybe fewer of them the longer his second term grinds on. It remains to be seen which is more ephemeral, Trump's current relative rough patch or the political movement he has spawned; it is unclear that other Republicans are ready or even willing to lead."
"Which brings us to the collapse of the Republican redistricting bill in Indiana. The debacle features a little bit of everything ailing the GOP these days. Wishy-washy red-state Republicanism that frustrates conservatives nationally; pugilistic outside conservative agitators making hamfisted threats that always seemed likely to backfire; an approach to the upcoming midterm elections that amounts to rearranging the deckchairs on the Titanic."
Intense political polarization produces a widespread belief that party leaders are weak and ineffectual. Progressives view Mitch McConnell as domineering toward Democrats in the past, while conservatives see him as a RINO constrained by principled adherence to rules. Donald Trump demonstrated that aggressive power use can achieve partisan priorities but also revealed the limits of brutal politics. The collapse of Indiana's Republican redistricting bill reveals fractured GOP dynamics: tepid red-state leadership, abrasive outside agitators, and tactics likely to backfire. Redistricting can shift seats but cannot alone prevent a nationwide Democratic wave; changing broader political conditions remains the only durable solution.
Read at The American Conservative
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