Last week, the Indiana State Senate voted 31-19 to deny a redistricting map supported by President Donald Trump that would have allowed Republicans to carve out two more House seats for next year’s crucial midterm elections.
Indiana is a solidly red state and Republicans held a super-majority in the State Senate. Incomprehensibly, 21 Republicans flipped sides to vote with the Democrats to reject the no-brainer redistricting proposal. The rationales given by the turncoat Republicans after the fact are a reminder of why conservative movement has failed to conserve much of anything throughout the years.
“My opposition to mid-cycle gerrymandering is not in contrast to my conservative principles, my opposition is driven by them,” said state senator Spencer Deery of West Lafayette. “As long as I have breath, I will use my voice to resist a federal government that attempts to bully, direct, and control this state or any state. Giving the federal government more power is not conservative.”
“The dialogue, on the other side, you know, was very strong, and was a tough decision. I’ve been a Republican all my life, supporting Republican principles, and it just was a tough decision to do… I was confident that I made the right decision that I needed to make for myself,” said state senator Rick Niemeyer of Lowell.
While Republicans make excuses for inaction, Democrats continue to cut every corner to maximize their political power. California just passed Proposition 50, a measure that invalidated their own state Constitution to restore partisan gerrymandering so the Democrats can rack up more seats. Democrats have also gained dozens more U.S. House seats because illegal aliens were counted on the U.S. census, an incomprehensible policy that President Trump was unable to reverse in his first term.
Not every state’s Republicans are proving to be as craven as those in Indiana. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott signed legislation in August to redraw districts in his state, creating five new seats that should be controlled by Republicans. Missouri redrew their map to remove Democrat Rep. Emanuel Cleaver from his Kansas City Congressional district. Republicans in North Carolina redrew their 1st Congressional District in order to make it a stronger district for Republicans.
Some Republican leaders are ready to fight, or are at least posturing as if they are ready to fight because they fear the wrath of President Trump and the MAGA movement. Other Republicans remain hopelessly stuck in 2006, believing that a genteel way of conducting politics, treating the political opposition with respect, is proper. This sentiment might be quaint and admirable in a nation that is not under siege by left-wing radicals, but we no longer have the luxury of politeness with our nation on the brink of extinction.
In a time of war, those in the trenches are often forced to make tough decisions. In order to survive, they have to resort to things they never would have imagined. They have to become monsters in order to survive. This has been the state of affairs in every war mankind has known, whether just or unjust. Whether it is World War 2, the Civil War, the American Revolution or any other conflict, those on the front lines committed atrocious acts in order to win, and humanity is immeasurably better off because they did. The existential fate of our nation rests upon the shoulders of these lawmakers right now, and their refusal to fight is tantamount to waving the white flag of surrender.
Many if not all of the Indiana senators who voted against the new maps are rightfully going to be primaried. Turning Point Action and other Trump backers have vowed that they will be running candidates against the Indiana Senate backstabbers. President Trump will almost certainly be getting behind these primary challengers. The success of these primary challenges would send an indelible message that the Republican Party of capitulation is dead and buried. But if they are able to skirt by without any consequences, other weak Republicans will feel emboldened to subvert the MAGA agenda.
Even after over a decade, the MAGA revolution within the Republican Party remains in a precarious state. Although our figurehead is a transformational figure who has caused a sea change within the mindset of the Republican rank-and-file, the lawmakers have lagged behind. They are essentially playing a game of beat the clock until President Trump is termed out, hoping that the status quo that enriched them can be rejuvenated afterwards. We already see slimy Sen. Ted Cruz maneuvering to position himself as the figure to unwind MAGA in the post-Trump era.
MAGA must not be afraid to battle in the primaries next year. Opponents will say that we are causing division or weakening the Party to help Democrats in the general. Nothing could be further from the truth. Our purifying efforts will wield results in the midterms and go beyond any immediate electoral result, setting the tempo within the Republican Party for generations to come. It is time for heads to roll, not just in Indiana but all through the country. Until MAGA develops a sturdy and consistent eject button that can be harnessed during Republican primaries, our politicians will continue to walk all over us – and it will worsen drastically when President Trump is out of office.
