At noon today with the inauguration of President-elect Joe Biden, Democrats will control the White House, the U.S. House of Representatives and narrowly the U.S. Senate.
That reality ends the embattled tenure of outgoing GOP President Donald Trump, the conclusion at least for now of a meteoric if not unlikely rise to power by a flamboyant billionaire New York City real estate developer who captivated rural voters in the South and the Midwest.
Mississippi is a prime example of the fierce political loyalty Trump engendered in his supporters. In a state with a 38 percent Black population, state voters gave Trump 57.8 percent of the state’s 2016 vote for president and 57.6 percent in the 2020 presidential election.
The 2020 election cycle saw Trump lose the White House and preside over the loss of a GOP Senate majority. But those losses came in an election that saw Trump get over 72 million votes – the second-largest vote total in U.S. history. The largest presidential vote total in history was cast in the same election as 78 million voters showed up to vote Biden in and Trump out of office.
Some 60 post-election legal challenges – including one to the U.S. Supreme Court to which Trump appointed one-third of the justices – failed. But still claims of a “stolen” election persist and are fomented almost hourly by President Trump.
Not even the violent, disgraceful insurrection at the U.S. Capitol on the day the nation’s electoral vote was certified quelled that narrative. Democrats in the House predictably impeached Trump and Republican leaders in the Senate refused to take the impeachment matter up until well after Trump is no longer in office.
With President Biden inaugurated at noon today, the nation looks to move forward in the face of a growing global pandemic and the economic uncertainties it has wrought. The Democratic Party has their own issues, with Biden perceived as “not progressive enough” by the far left in his own party. Governing will be a challenge for Biden both from GOP opposition and Democratic purity politics.
But the Republican Party is at a broader crossroads. What will be the path forward be for the party of Lincoln? Shortly after the election, the Republican National Committee met and made no substantial changes in their party’s leadership.
Will the GOP maintain its loyalty to Trump and Trumpism, or will new leaders and new thinking emerge? Will Trump continue to be a force of nature in Republican politics, granting thumbs up or down in contested GOP primaries?
Or will the GOP seek to redefine itself based on more bedrock party principles of a smaller central government, less taxes, free markets, and a strong national defense strategy with less isolationism. Will the party pivot from xenophobia in national immigration policy?
What about the evangelical wing of the GOP, a group that seemed to grant Trump a pass for most of his time on the presidential stage?
And what of “conservative” fiscal policy? The Trump White House tenure has seen a $7.8 trillion increase in the national debt. To be sure, President Barack Obama grew the national debt by over $9 trillion, but the Trump record is substantial for a Republican.
Trump endured a global pandemic while Obama endured a global economic recession.
In Mississippi, Republicans remain firmly in power facing a state Democratic Party with little demonstrable state-level organization or resources. Two-time Democratic U.S. Senate nominee Mike Espy attracted huge campaign war chests against Sen. Cindy Hyde=Smith and still was defeated soundly in 2018 and again by a wider margin in 2020.
In 2019, Republican Tate Reeves turned back the challenge of one of the state’s most formidable Democrats in Jim Hood. Reeves won by about 5 percent of the vote. All eight statewide Mississippi officials are Republicans, as are both houses of the Mississippi Legislature.
Nationally, Republicans face a growing identity crisis. In the post-Trump era, they must redefine who the are, what they believe, and who is to be the national face of the party while in “loyal opposition” to the Democrats in power.
Against that backdrop, the Trump shadow over the GOP’s future has yet to be accurately measured.
50 comments:
What Republican Party, I am joining the Patriot Party soon as they have it up and running.
Sid Salter has a firm grasp of the obvious.
#Trump2024
Not one election challenge was decided on the merits. Every judge played procedural dodge ball.
Sid is Captain Obvious!!
Be the first to join big Don in the Patriot Party!!
On coordinated cue Salter and the Barbours effort to paint a GOP in a position of weakness and allude that the only path to redemption is to move away from Trump. We've seen the establishment GOP song and dance before. It is a loser. Go screw yourselves.
I feel no love for the Republican party because of the way they failed Trump. I don ‘t foresee me supporting them any time soon. And no, I’ll never vote Democrat..ever. I hope Trump forms a new party. I doubt the Republicans will ever win the Presidency again.
America can finally breath again.
GOP is happy to see all the RINOs leave with chief RINO trump... bye bye
Like clockwork RINOs and liberal media all over our country are sounding nearly verbatim the same garbage as Salter does here.
Not an accident that Salter makes no mention of the substantial gains Republicans made in the House on Trump's coattails while pre-election Pelosi was predicting an increased majority. Republicans are only 5-7 seats from taking the majority back in 2022 where mid-term losses on average since WWII have seen the President's party lose 20-25 seats. Salter also fails to mention that the Republicans nationwide strengthened what was an already dominating redistricting position.
The Dems are in control but they exhibit daily their paranoia of Trump and his "America First" agenda. The movement the crazy S.O.B. started ain't going away and looking at Biden's freak show cabinet will only get stronger. I don't know that Trump will ever be elected to public office again but "America First" will get a bunch of people elected in the next decade.
Xenophobia? Really Sid? There is/was no dislike or prejudice against people from other countries, it is/was an attempt to make immigrants follow our laws. Immigrate legally, and we don't have a problem. But like so many other issues, you and your democrat ilk see the laws of this country as an annoyance, and not the rules for a civil society.
Great day for the GOP!! The Red Elephants are back and the real RINOs are the ones leaving to start the crybaby sore loser party... cya
Excited to see how Trump’s new patriot party ends up. Hopefully a large part of his base follows him away from the Republicans. I’ll be curious to see how many of our senators and congressmen follow. I predict CHS and all house reps except Bennie to jump ship.
Hook, Line, Sinker just like that Agent Trump has blown up the Redumblican Party.
This morning I got to hear Marty Wiseman on Gallo and just now I got to read Sid's babble here.
My day is now perfect and complete. I can wish for no more. Well, other than to have a firm B.M.
@10:21
That means you were RINO all along. Stay classy GOP
Ten thousand words on the contents of a ping pong ball...
I voted for Trump both times, mostly because Hillary and Biden are so wicked. I hate Trump's budget deficits, and his foreign policy was uneven, though not the horror of Bush-Cheney. At almost age 57, my voting days may be almost over. I have no interest in the party of McConnell, Murkowski, Sasse, Romney, and Toomey. Also no interest in the party of Buttigieg and Rachel Levine.
lol at GOPers, RINOs, and limousine socialists in the DNC.
You Liberty minded Republicans could’ve elected Ron Paul or Rand Paul years ago.
You Socially conscious Democrats could’ve elected Tulsi or Bernie. Even Yang would’ve been better than Biden.
Instead you got more corruption because you waste time watching TV and twitter instead of actually educating yourselves. So when smart people talk about complicated issues you always go for whatever the media tells you because it is easy and you dont understand difficult concepts and only consume the media filtered distortion.
Democrats didn’t win. They got a corrupt and decrepit “do nothing” child sniffer as a consolation prize for ousting the Bad Orange Man.
Seemed to me Trump failed the Republican Party. Had he stayed off Twitter and displayed any sense of dignity he could have won re-election. He did some good things. The liberal press figured out they could bait him into even more outrageous responses and he fell right into their trap. I voted for she AH but I understand why he lost
The Republican party must face the reality that Donald Trump is his own political party. He has no loyalty to any of them unless they swear loyalty to him personally and they have no loyalty to him for that reason. It's time to retrench and let Mr. trump form his third party or move on. Pence, Barr, McConnell and hundreds of other have been rolled under the Trump bus and there will be more. It's past time to wish Mr. Trump good luck and part ways, or see the GOP become personal property.
Trump showed what he thought of the Republican Party when he torpedoed the Georgia Senatorial elections. He couldn't give one less damn about the Republican Party if he's not President!
Sid always have enjoyed your columns and comments. However, the comment from your post below is if concern. Hope you are not trying to say that all his votes came from these areas. That would be patently inaccurate!!
"Who captivated rural voters in the South and the Midwest"
Correct me if I am wrong but he did receive over 74 million votes, correct?
As I have mentioned in my prior comments, it is not Trump who they voted for but rather for his policies and Americans first agenda. Plus the accomplishments he achieved during his administration.
The Republican Party needs to understand the 74 million who voted for Trump are not going away and that number will increase every day of Biden's adminstration. The Progressive Agenda which is not accurate and should really be referre to as Socialist, everyone else first, Americans second will see to that.
So Republican leadership should embrace the Americans First agenda and began the grass roots today with a consistent and cogent message for 2022.
Just my thoughts.
The Muslim ban will soon be over. It’s pathetic that the Republicans cheered it on. Pathetic.
@9:30 a great deal of the Donkey panic is, as you note, driven by reapportionment and redistricting.
The situation is far more dire than what meets the eye of the average person following the game.
Plus Kelly in Arizona and Warnock in Georgia have to run again in 2022 so any ideas that they are going to support in the Senate a full throat far left blow job to the country between now and then is highly unlikely. Manchin has already let it be known that his moderate ass is going to have be kissed.
@8:51 Henry Barbour is over on Y'allP wanting Republicans to re-embrace "civility".
Basically he wants a return to the good ol' Bush GOP days where the party happily bent over and took blow after blow from the Democrats. Hey, why don't we bring Trent Lott back too?
Henry is even spouting Haley's 80/20 garbage where the real ugly stuff that makes up the 20%, like illegal immigration and Chinese appeasement and conservative backstabbers like John Roberts, just gets thrown into that agree to disagree bucket.
Nope Henry, we aren't taking your RINO bullshit anymore.
Marty Wiseman has all the answers but can never seem to figure out to get Democrats elected to statewide office in Mississippi.
Patriot party is going to be huge. Expect it to have its own ecosystem of cable news/propaganda, radio hosts/propaganda, social media/propaganda, and lots of hats and trinkets. They may even sponsor a nascar. Big things are coming for Trumpers, you just have to tithe to the new party and it can all come true.
Go ahead and form your "patriot" party. You should be able to pull at least 10-15% of the popular vote with a bunch of beer bellied redneck radicals leading the way (Cyndi Hyde makes a great spokesperson). On the other side, AOC and the radicals can likewise pull maybe 10-15% of the vote from all those wanting something for nothing. That leaves 70-80% in the middle that should tell both sides to fuck off with their bullshit agendas.
Apparently, it is ok in the "patriot" world to bilk the government. Trump pardoned many convicted white collar thugs that had stolen money from the federal government. He also pardoned many other thugs that bilked donors or clients. Charming moral philosophy.
Just a few points here:
1 - I did not vote FOR Trump either time; I voted AGAINST his opposition - there's a difference.
2 - Salter speaks of the Biden administration "moving forward". It will no doubt be moving, but I doubt my compass needle will point to "forward".
3 - Trump did a lot of good things, but he had the potential to do so much more. Regan was a Washington outsider, but he had enough since to beat the Democrats at their own game; he knew how to talk to them. All Trump could do was to trash-talk them, and that's one of the reasons he is in Florida today.
4 - Prediction: Biden will serve just shy over 2 years then step aside. That will leave the door open for Harris to serve the remainder of his term plus be eligible to run for 2 more terms.
5 - We have been told all our lives that our diversity has made America great. I am here to tell you that same diversity is going to bring America down.
Any party led by Trump will ultimately require a loyalty oath to Donald. It's the only way. If you feel comfortable with that, go for it.
81 million voters rejected the lies. It’s a new day and a great relief that the clownish brat is being dropped off in Florida. We are all a little safer today and a hell of a lot more stable as a country.
There never was a Muslim ban.
Get over it, elections have consequences, it wasn’t even close, 81 million people have spoken. The Democrats control both houses of congress. Change is coming!
People aren't worried about Trump running again. What they are worried about is that he'll win.
Rubes shouting 81 million from rooftops in Mississippi same rubes hollering that the medical pot bill won with 70+% of the vote. Bottom line, they don't know how to count.
@12:29, the “muslim ban” from the Muslim countries Barack Obama chose to be enemies.
@1:35 Tell us, and I’m asking sincerely, how your life was worse the past 4 years under Trump, go: Tell us how the booming economy, skyrocketing job market (not based on DoorDash drivers and part time bartenders) and the surge in American manufacturing absolutely chapped your ass. Tell us, Fondrenite, how, besides not being able to piss in the women’s bathroom, were YOU just destroyed by the last 4 years. Talk:
Hey 4:59, who is the president today?The count has been verified!!!!
Ain’t saw this many crybabies since kindergarten. The majority wanted change, for better or worse.
Trump will have secret service protection for the rest of his life. And a taxpayer funded Presidential Library will fill the empty retail space in Trump Tower. He might make enough from his new media franchise to pay off his international debts from his failed businesses. Luckily he wont go to prison since the Secret Service would have to protect him at Otisville.
QTards on eternal suicide watch
@5:31 - serious answer, I have family and friends who got sucked into the qanon conspiracies that have infected so many on the right who are now so delusional that they can’t be reasoned with. I have one family members that died of Coronavirus, as well as my next door neighbor. I have multiple other friends who were laid off due to the virus. Not sure what you are talking about the boom in American manufacturing, that’s simply not true. Trump has driven a wedge between his hardcore supporters and reality and some damn decent people got swept into those lies. It’s unfortunate how many people still defend them.
8:32 am Not if he is convicted in the Senate or censured.
Having been to Presidential libraries, what will be there? Rally speeches and tweets? His rise to politics on FOX or shock jock interviews? National Inquirers?
He didn't document and record his Presidency for history like his predecessors.
I didn't pay to see what I'd already seen on my Presidential Library visits.
With the Democrats controlling both the Senate & House, as well as in the White House, if the market takes a shit and economy tanks, its all on them. Its not really that bad at the moment.
If we have a major terrorist attack after the travel ban is lifted on day one, that is squarely on Biden's shoulders.
Biden started his term with job losses. Think about that for a minute. He wasn't in office 1 full day and shutting down Keystone and the wall terminated hundreds, if not thousands of jobs.
Of the executive orders he signed, most of them benefit non Americans than Americans. Think about that. The Dems first day in office they thought more of non Americans, than they do Americans. If that sits well with you, then we have a big problem.
But hey, we are going to let boys in the girls room and girls in the boys room.
Trump only wants a political party for its bank account. He isn’t legally allowed to run a charity any longer, so he found a loophole. He is the argument against unchecked capitalism.
Censure is purely symbolic. Has NO effect. There won't be a conviction.
#Trump2024
January 21, 2021 at 8:45 AM
+100,000
@8:45
You need to lay off the Q Anon conspiracy theories.
President Biden and Vice President Harris are in the White House for ALL AMERICANS and not just terrified and angry white men. I know that doesn't sit well with your marginalized and aging demographic. But you obviously are in the minority. Since obviously you lost.
Elections have consequences. And immigrants are just as much American as you are.
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