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Many may know that Rep. Dan Crenshaw (R-Texas) lost his right eye after he was hit by an IED blast in Afghanistan. What may not be as well known is that he also temporarily lost sight in his left eye. Or that once he regained sight on the left, a miracle in and of itself, he returned to military service.

And yet, Tucker Carlson mocks that injury on Fox News with little resistance from its conservative viewers or from elected officials.

What a time: Watching Republicans shift away from a platform defined by support the troops is tripping me up more than Drakes foray into house music. And this isnt just about Crenshaw or even President Trumps rivalry with the late Sen. John McCain, though that was certainly a flashpoint. This is something much bigger: a sign that the Republican Party isnt just in transition. Its lost.

Opinion Columnist

LZ Granderson

LZ Granderson writes about culture, politics, sports and navigating life in America.

Growing up in the Reagan era wasnt great, but at least most everyone understood what the rules were. Democrats painted Republicans to be the party for some combination of rich, old and white. Conservatives accused liberals of being godless, big spenders and weak on crime. Political absolutes are rarely productive, but they do make for great TV.

Anyway, for the most part since the Reagan era, liberal messaging hasnt changed unfortunately. On the flip side, since the rise of the tea party in 2010 conservatives have been in the midst of the biggest ideological shift since Reagan and the Christian Coalition coalesced their powers 40 years ago.

Before we dig into the substance, I must say the style isnt changing so radically. Even today, as the nation continues to grieve the victims of the mass shootings in Buffalo, N.Y., and Uvalde, Texas, many conservatives employ Reagans brand of disingenuous problem solving to avoid talking about gun laws. Although nearly 12% of the nation was living under the poverty line in 1976, Reagan was out testing his welfare queens rhetoric on the campaign trail. When his conservative heirs are asked about a school shooting in Texas, they say, What about Chicago? in an effort to talk about urban street crime instead. But we all know that hammering Democratic mayors on crime is less about being thoughtful and more about using racist tropes to change the subject.

The left could borrow that same style to redirect any conversation toward a tempting target. Imagine what that would look like: No matter what the reporters at a news conference asked Biden, hed point out that most of our poorest states are run by Republicans. Mississippi, for example, has more than a fifth of its population living below the poverty line, and conservatives have controlled that state since 2012. Republicans have run South Carolina since 2003, and its in the top 10 as well. I could go on, but that would be petty (Tennessee) and unproductive (Alabama). Besides (Oklahoma, Arkansas and West Virginia), you get the point: Changing the subject and oversimplifying to score cheap points doesnt solve problems.

For Republicans, the reflex to pivot like this has finally turned in on itself. Theyre attacking their own. Even those hailed as military heroes.

Crenshaw faced taunts of eyepatch McCain last week from attendees at the Texas State Republican Convention, echoing the jab Carlson made last month. This is not politics as usual. Neither is the Republican response to the Jan. 6 hearings.

We are not used to seeing conservatives behave so indifferently toward the sound of police officers pleading for help. It was less than two years ago when the countrys largest police union endorsed Donald Trump for president. The Fraternal Order of Police said it was proud to endorse a candidate who calls for law and order across our nation. We now know that on Jan. 6, 2021, Trump called for no such thing, leaving the overwhelmed Capitol police officers to fight for their lives for hours.

Thats not the behavior of someone whos leading the law-and-order party. In fact, congressional Republicans are treating the officers who were wounded in the Capitol attack like pariahs.

Seems like the gender of a gingerbread cookie was met with more concern than the deadly attack on police.

And the outcry against Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R-Ill.) must truly mark the end of Republicans support the troops era. This Air Force veteran dared to back the Jan. 6 investigation and stand up for truth even as his wife and baby are threatened with execution and for that sort of integrity he is accused of treason.

Democrats and Republicans have both consistently supported first responders and the military, but until recently the GOP had made that position central to its identity. Now the party is identifying itself in other ways, and Im not quite sure where thats going. More concerning, I dont think they are either. There is a campaign video featuring a Republican candidate for the U.S. Senate, Missourian Eric Greitens, and a team of men carrying guns, dressed in tactical gear, breaking down a door and using smoke bombs as they tell you they are hunting faux Republicans.

This feels more substantial than just convenient positions taken by followers of one former president who hope hell have a political future. When the most popular host on Fox News makes fun of a Republican soldier who lost an eye fighting for the U.S., and viewers side with the host, that blue line might as well be fuchsia.

When Trump and McCain exchanged barbs, that seemed unique, perhaps just a little tremor inside the party. What the Capitol Police, Kinzinger and Crenshaw are encountering feels more like shifting and colliding of tectonic plates.

@LZGranderson

The rest is here:
Granderson: Today's Republican Party is not about 'support the troops' or 'law and order' - Los Angeles Times

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The Texas Republican Party on Saturday voted on two new party platform planks aimed at barring the teaching of sex and sexuality in schools while simultaneously calling on Texas schools to teach the dignity of the preborn human and that life begins at fertilization.

One policy proposal called on state lawmakers to prohibit the teaching, exposure, and/or discussion of sexual matters (mechanics, feelings, orientation or gender identity issues), as well as remove related books or materials from schools.

The issue of gender has nothing to do with education, said Cindi Castilla, president of the Texas Eagle Forum and who served on the party platform committee. Education is about reading, writing, math, science, history and fine arts. Maybe some foreign language and PE. Schools arent the social educators of our kids.

Elsewhere, the GOP platform also added that Texas students should learn about the dignity of the preborn human and that life begins at fertilization.

That goes back to biology, back into teaching sex as biology, said Julie Pickren, who told The Texas Tribune that sex education has a place only if it follows state health education standards and is age appropriate. If it has a heartbeat, it's a human, right?

Pickren, a Republican, is running for the State Board of Education District that represents Southeast Texas. Incumbent Matt Robinson is not running for reelection.

The platform plank does not specify which grades should get these lessons, except to say that high school students should read the Womans Right to Know booklet. Critics say that booklet, written by the state, includes scientifically unsupported claims and shames women seeking abortion care.

The platform plank also states that students should witness a live ultrasound and watch a Miracle of Life type video. The 1982 film documents the human reproductive process from conception to birth.

Kristen Ylana, executive director of The Texas Womens Health Caucus, said the push to teach public school students that life begins at fertilization represents a broader push by the Texas Republican Party to broadly establish a legal foundation to claim a fetus is a person with constitutional rights.

They want to get to the point where we can say, Well, no, this is a person. So they require legal protections, criminal protection, constitutional protections. They have rights that are just as valid and equal. So therefore, you cant do certain things, Ylana said.

During the last regular legislative session, Rep. Steve Toth, R-The Woodlands, filed a bill that defined personhood at fertilization and would provide due process to a fetus. The bill died in committee.

The State Board of Education recently wrapped up its review of health curriculum standards, which include requirements to teach about fertilization in fifth, sixth, seventh and eighth grades.

My thought is to leave well enough alone. What we put in the standards is factual and balanced, Patricia Hardy, a Republican board member from Fort Worth, told the Tribune Saturday after the platform vote.

Many delegates at the convention argued that young children dont need to learn about issues of gender and sexuality, including conversations and lessons about people who are transgender. Those delegates said Saturday they prefer such conversations happen at home. Under Texas law, parents currently must provide written consent for their children to attend sex education classes, which are required to emphasize abstinence.

Some womens health advocates and public education leaders criticized the policies as harmful and discriminatory and questioned the legality of barring the teaching of gender and sexuality in schools.

The Texas GOP is out of step with the majority of Americans who believe in equality, said Zeph Capo, president of the Texas chapter of American Federation of Teachers. Capo said the platform plank banning the teaching of sexual matters appears to violate Title IX, which protects against sex-based discrimination, including discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity.

Parents may try to restrict what their own kids read or who they love, but they do not have the right to restrict others, Capo said, not in a truly free society.

The newly approved Texas GOP party platform broadly places the culture wars at its core, as the party adopted a slew of new platforms that shift the party further to the right on Saturday.

Delegates Saturday voted on 275 platform planks, which will now need to be tallied and certified in Austin. It is rare for a plank to be rejected, Texas GOP party spokesperson James Wesolek said. In addition to the platform, the delegates voted to choose 8 among 15 legislative priorities to be shared with Republican lawmakers ahead of the legislative session that starts in January. Which 8 were selected will not be known for several days.

Party platforms are often more aspirational than practical and, in Texas, they have long reflected the opinions of the most activist wings of the parties. Elected officials are not bound to adhere to their parties platforms.

The additions to the state GOP platform related to teaching Texas students about sex and sexuality come months after Gov. Greg Abbott directed the Department of Family and Protective Services to investigate parents who provide gender-affirming care to their transgender children as child abuse. The state also has seen a push from far-right lawmakers and conservative parents to remove obscene content from school libraries and classrooms. The book bans often have targeted young adult literature with racial and LGBTQ+ themes.

The platform also calls for lawmakers to remove an exemption in the Texas Penal Code that allows children access to harmful, explicit or pornographic materials under the guise of educational materials.

Castilla said the exemption allows schools to use educational materials she considers to be obscene pornography.

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Texas GOP platform calls for ban on teaching sexual matters, while requiring students to learn about dignity of the preborn human - The Texas Tribune

I commute 35 miles each way to work. In my comparatively compact and fuel efficient car, that works out to a gallon of gas each way. At current fuel prices, it costs me about $12 each day to get to work.

It adds up. Its frustrating.

Im not the only one with fewer, less experienced coworkers sharing the same work. Im not the only one looking at the rising cost of everything rent, fuel, food, and so on and wondering when it will stop. Yes, wages are higher, especially for entry-level employees, and thats great, but the constant shortages of basic goods and services since the pandemic started a couple of years ago has been irritating. Violent crime is increasing as well no, the Bronx isnt burning, but just as we shouldnt wait for live-action reenactments of the Laramie Project before we take white nationalists showing up to violently disrupt Pride events seriously, we shouldnt wait for American cities to look like hollowed out war zones again before we take crime seriously, either.

Im also not the only one whos noticed that the people in charge dont seem to have any fixes for these problems.

I understand, then, why so many political analysts believe Republicans will have a banner year this year. Democrats are currently in charge (for whatever definition of in charge any political party can be said to be in our famously fractious country) and things are a little rough at the moment and getting rougher. Naturally, many voters will likely conclude, rightly or wrongly, that throwing todays bums out might make things better at least until tomorrows bums either wield political power effectively enough to create other problems or are unfortunate enough to be in power while we create entirely new and novel problems for ourselves.

What I dont understand is what Nevadas Republican primary voters, especially in Washoe County, think theyre doing about any of this.

Start with the gubernatorial primary, which produced one of the more comparatively sane outcomes. Whether you agree or disagree with Lombardos positions or policies, nominating a sheriff for governor is a logical thing to do if youre a voter whos worried about crime. Whats less logical, however, is nominating a conspiratorial former boxer and current ambulance chaser who thinks the establishment is conspiring to deny him his place on the general election ballot and consequently refuses to concede his race despite receiving nearly 30,000 fewer votes than the victor never mind how many Democratic political organizations, including here in Nevada, spent millions of dollars propping candidates like Joey Gilbert up.

But that ambulance chaser is exactly who a plurality of Republican voters in several counties including our state capital wanted for governor. Even in Washoe County, Gilbert was fewer than 300 votes away from Joe Lombardo. If Clark County Republicans didnt think so fondly of their sheriff, Sisolak would have needed to recruit Ross Miller as a stunt double in the next gubernatorial debate.

What made Joey Gilbert appealing? It wasnt his willingness nor perceived ability to solve Nevadas problems it was instead his willingness to fight reality itself. According to his headcanon, Donald Trump was still president, COVID-19 wasnt real (and, if it was, it was a plandemic anyway), and Nevadas students cant read because they dont say the Pledge of Allegiance often enough. Does any of that have any relationship with reality? Well, no, but reality left Joey and his supporters behind years ago.

Then theres Jim Marchant. Marchant is running for secretary of state on a platform of replacing every voting machine with thousands of bleary-eyed precinct captains hand-counting every ballot, handwriting their tallies with fountain pens on parchment, then delivering election results by Pony Express. If you ask him, every election result since Mark Twain published Roughing It has been fraudulent, including every primary and Assembly seat he ever won. Hes running because, as he readily admits, QAnon organizers the sort who are waiting for John F. Kennedy Jr. to arise from his watery grave off the coast of Marthas Vineyard so he can run as Trumps running mate in 2024 saw him as a kindred spirit and asked him to.

Is he a delusional crank spouting unhinged nonsense? Absolutely. In a just world, would he file as a paper candidate, pick up a couple thousand votes statewide from voters who had no clue who he was, then die in obscurity? You bet. Is he instead the Nevada Republican Partys general election candidate for secretary of state this year? By a landslide. Will electing him secretary of state make Nevada a better place or address a single meaningful problem faced by residents of our state? No, but if Otero County in New Mexico, a jurisdiction which refused to certify its own election results, is any indication, hell at least keep our judicial system gainfully employed.

Perhaps Nevadas Republicans had more sense when it came time to select their candidate for Treasurer. Surely surely they wouldnt support someone with a history of failed businesses, sweetheart deals for family members, constant out-of-state distractions, bullying and fighting fellow Republicans, and a scrambled misunderstanding of germ theory to manage the states money.

Dont call them surely. Fiore was the most popular candidate on the Republican statewide primary ballot. More than 125,000 Republicans voted for Fiore thats more votes than Adam Laxalt or any statewide candidate received.

Does she know what the job of a state treasurer is? Does she know how to balance a checkbook? Is she self aware enough to realize shes actually the angry racist aunt instead of the fun-loving party girl at every family gathering? The answer to all of these questions is almost certainly no. Did that stop Republicans from putting her on our general election ballots? The answer to that question is also no.

What about the position of attorney general the chief prosecutor for the state? Did Nevadas Republicans select someone who will be tough on crime? Or did they select someone who jokes about lynching people and is an open embarrassment in court? Does thirty men breaking into a local jail to kill a man while the local constable is asleep sound like law and order? As Republicans selected Sigal Chattah to run against Aaron Ford, it seems we have four more months to find out.

Then there are the races further down the ballot.

Washoe County Republicans the same bunch which used to reliably produce moderate Republicans like Bill Raggio, Brian Sandoval, Jill Tolles, Ben Kieckhefer and Heidi Gansert instead chose to replace an incumbent Republican county commissioner with a county assessor whos still not allowed in his own office. Instead of ensuring county properties were assessed fairly and equitably, Mike Clark used his time and resources to obsess over a picture of one of his staff members in a bikini a picture which he bundled in 162 novella-length mailers he sent to elected officials and county employees, each labeled as if they came from someone elses address.

Nothing says moral courage like trying to pin your mailed rants on someone elses head.

Then theres Jeanne Herman. Ive written about Washoe County Commissioner Herman before shes the one who wanted to deploy the Nevada National Guard to every single precinct in the county to shoot voter fraud because a Californian cryptocurrency lottery winner told her to. Did the Republican residents of Renos exurbs use the ridiculous press she generated from her buffoonery to select someone who will do the job of county commissioner quietly and effectively? Or did they double down on the election denial and Bircher-grade conspiracy theory spinning?

Take a guess.

Finally, we have the elections for Washoe County School Board. Districts B, C, D and F face election this year. Each of them face incumbents who, at the time of the writing of this piece, are leading in their races Ellen Minetto, Joe Rodriguez, Beth Smith, and Adam Mayberry, respectively. Three of those four, however, will face a general election against candidates handpicked by Save WCSD, a far-right organization obsessed with the notion that Critical Transgendered Race Theory (or whatever) is being taught in Renos famously progressive classrooms Beth Smith handily dispatched her Save WCSD-anointed opponent, Ed Hitti, in the primary.

As I pointed out fairly recently, the Save WCSD candidates sincerely believe Washoe County students will read better if they have the power to control which books Washoe County students read just dont ask them which books your students will be able to take home. Either theyd rather we found out which books were fit for reading and which books were fit for their Suberung by surprise, or the Californian cryptocurrency millionaire funding their organization failed to furnish them with his list of forbidden books before they were interviewed by local media. Whether these candidates are mendacious or ignorant, its extremely unlikely electing any of them to my countys school board will have a positive effect on any childs education.

***

Will pretending Donald Trump was actually elected in 2020 resolve our nations supply shortages? Will electing an innumerate bully with a gun fetish make our states finances more sound? Will lynching political opponents make our streets safer? Will banning books raise Nevadas educational results? Will throwing every election machine into the nearest river reduce inflation? Will electing a disgraced assessor with a temporary restraining order against him as county commissioner make Washoe County great again?

I dont see how.

Are any of these candidates offering a single tangible policy solution that can be delivered by our existing political processes that might concretely benefit Nevadans?

Not that I can see.

Thats a shame. We have real problems in this state which call out for real solutions. There was a time when voters in Nevadas second-largest political party took itself seriously enough to address them and selected candidates accordingly. Unfortunately, last week's primary has demonstrated theyd rather add their collective delusions to the list instead.

David Colborne ran for office twice and served on the executive committees for his state and county Libertarian Party chapters. He is now an IT manager, a registered nonpartisan voter, the father of two sons, and a weekly opinion columnist for The Nevada Independent. You can follow him on Twitter @DavidColborne or email him at [emailprotected].

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Nevada's Republican voters have lost their collective minds The Nevada Independent - The Nevada Independent

Republican Michigan Rep. Fred Upton tried to downplay the concerns of Second Amendment advocates over new gun control legislation while speaking on CNNs State of the Union Sunday.

Host Dana Bash asked whether its possible Congress would strike a deal on gun control before the impending recess.

I want to turn to guns. A bipartisan group in the Senate is trying to lock down a compromise deal, but funding for state red flag laws and eliminating the so-called boyfriend loophole do remain sticking points for Republicans. Congress leaves for recess in a week. Do you think a deal is still gettable? Bash asked.

Upton said he thinks a deal is still possible before recess, but the two sticking points are common sense.

Law abiding folks shouldnt have any fears in terms of whats going on. Its been a rallying point, particularly for the NRA and Gun Owners of America. You look at their website and theyre raising cash like you wouldnt believe in terms of, their Second Amendment rights are being taken away.'

Thats not whats happening here. This is common sense stuff. But its been elevated, for sure, particularly when you have some pretty well-respected Republicans, whether it be John Cornyn or Dan Crenshaw literally being accosted at their state conventions in Texas this weekend.

Red flag laws, also known as extreme risk protection orders, allow a court to confiscate a firearm from an individual who is believed to pose a violent threat. (RELATED: Police Use Red Flag Law To Seize Guns From Black Panther Member Who Allegedly Plotted To Kill Colorado Officials)

In the Supreme Court case of Canglia v. Strom, the high court ruled seizing a citizens gun violates search and seizure rights protected under the Fourth Amendment.

Cornyn and several other Republicans have voiced support for the red flag laws, stoking a wave of criticism.

Daily Caller co-founder and Fox News host Tucker Carlson blasted the unconstitutional red flag laws.

If you can seize peoples guns without proving that they committed a crime, why cant you imprison them without proving that they committed a crime? If you can take their guns, why cant you take their homes? Why cant you empty their bank accounts? Carlson said Monday.

Cornyn was drowned out by chants of no red flags, no red flags, while speaking Friday at a convention in Texas.

Link:
Law Abiding Folks Shouldnt Have Any Fears, Claims Republican On Gun Control Bill - Daily Caller

I have a B.A. in History and Creative Writing and an M.A. in History. I enjoy politics, movies, television, poker, video games, and trivia.

A List of Things Republicans Believe In

Do all Republicans believe the same things? Of course not. Rarely do members of a single political group agree on all issues. Even among Republicans, there are differences of opinion. As a group, they do not agree on every issue.

Some folks vote Republican because of fiscal concerns. Often, that trumps concerns they may have about social issues. Others are less interested in the fiscal position of the party. They vote they way they do because of religion. They believe Republicans are the party of morality. Some simply want less government. They believe only Republicans can solve the problem of big government. Republicans spend less (except on military). They lower taxes: some people vote for that alone.

However, the Republican Party does stand for certain things. So I'm answering with regard to the party as a whole. Call it a platform. Call them core beliefs. The vast majority of Republicans adhere to certain ideas.

So what do Republicans believe? Here are their basic tenets:

This is pretty universal among Republicans. Government should not be providing solutions to problems that confront people (like health issues or paying bills). Those problems should be solved by the people themselves. A Republican would say that relying on the government to solve problems is a crutch that makes people lazy and feel entitled to receive things without working for them.

A Republican believes that decision-making should be as local as possible and if there's something important that needs solving on a social level, the state's decision should trump any federal decisions. The federal government should not have control over state decisions, generally speaking.

The free market is the perfect decision-maker. There need be no interference in the market because ultimately, the needs and desires of manufacturers and consumers will resolve themselves correctly in an unregulated market.

Republicans are generally accepting only of the Judeo-Christian belief system. For most Republicans, religion is absolutely vital in their political beliefs and the two cannot be separated. Therefore, separation of church and state is not that important to them. In fact, they believe that much of what is wrong has been caused by too much secularism.

Those are the four basic Republican tenets: small government, local control, the power of free markets, and Christian authority. Below are other things they believe that derive from those four ideas.

No matter what the situation, Republicans believe in lowering taxes across the board, for both individuals and businesses. As far as they are concerned, the more money that stays in the hands of the private sector, the better. They think people and businesses should be able to determine how and when they spend their money.

Republicans favor a strong military . . . and using that military. Republicans are usually hawks where Democrats are doves. The strong military stance demonstrates how Republicans use the power of the federal government, though they believe that a strong military spurs innovation and directs tax dollars as investments into businesses they support.

Republicans are more likely to argue for the privatization of things than Democrats, even going so far as to advocate for privatizing fire departments and the police in some cases. This goes for Social Security, healthcare, medicare, and virtually anything else that's linked to the government in any way. No matter what it is, they think that private industry can always do a better job than government.

This comes from their religious beliefs, which form the basis for a lot of policy. Republicans believe that homosexuality is a choice and, as such, gay people should not be acknowledged in the same way as other groups. Therefore, according to a Republican, homosexuals should not be allowed to marry, nor should they be allowed to adopt children.

Republicans support the position of the NRA and do not believe in gun control. They believe in the right of all citizens to own guns as detailed in the Constitution.

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Republicans are fundamentally against abortion and do not support the idea that a woman should be able to choose whether to end a pregnancy no matter the reason, though some Republicans make exceptions for rape and incest. Although Republicans believe abortion is murder and believe Roe v. Wade should be overturned, they do not usually explain what punishment should befall those who get or give abortions should it become illegal.

Generally, Republicans question the conclusions scientists have come to regarding global warming. At best, they believe that the effects of global warming have been overstated and that regulating emissions should not be done; at worst, they believe global warming is a hoax.

Republicans reject the theory of evolution and believe in creationism, the idea that God created man the way he is. They believe creationism should be taught in public schools.

Republicans believe that illegal immigrants, no matter the reason they are in this country, should be forcibly removed from the U.S. Although illegal immigrants are often motivated to come to the U.S. by companies who hire them, Republicans generally believe that the focus of the law should be on the illegal immigrants and not on the corporations that hire them.

Republicans believe that poor people are usually poor for a reason, be it laziness, choice or whatever. Unless we demand that people pull themselves up by the bootstraps and solve their own problems, people will not be motivated to do things. Therefore, the issue of poverty cannot be solved by the government. Charity should be the choice of individuals.

Republicans believe in the death penalty and support its use in cases where violent crimes have been committed.

15 Differences Between Democrats and Republicans

Party Realignment in the Trump Era: Right Populists vs. Progressives

This content reflects the personal opinions of the author. It is accurate and true to the best of the authors knowledge and should not be substituted for impartial fact or advice in legal, political, or personal matters.

Question: Who is the leader of the Republican Party?

Answer: Donald Trump.

Question: Why doesn't Donald Trump believe in most of the typical Republican things besides immigration stances?

Answer: Donald Trump is not a typical Republican.

Question: Who is the the leader of the Green Party?

Answer: Jonathan Bartley and Sian Berry have been elected as new joint leaders of the Green Party.

Question: Why do people want to get rid of guns when it's against the second amendment of the U.S. Constitution?

Answer: People probably want to get rid of guns because they are so often used to kill people and they think that will help.

2011 Allen Donald

Continued here:
What Do Republicans Believe? 15 Things a Republican Stands For