One of the saddest aspects of the current Republican party is how it has evolved into such a cult of personality around Donald Trump. Unfortunately, Governor Chris Sununu appears to be the latest victim of this cult.
According to New Hampshire Public Radio (NHPR) in a recent interview with George Stephanopoulos, host of “This Week,” Gov. Sununu was in full support of Trump and his campaign. No matter the circumstances, whether it be Trump’s many criminal trials or his previous misdealings with potential election interference, the governor plans to vote for Trump himself. Sununu stated in his interview that he was looking for a “culture change” and even implied that given the country’s trajectory for border and fiscal policy, it would be elitist to not vote for him.
This mass delusion the Republican party seems to be basking in is beyond comprehension. Only in the GOP can you vehemently disagree with Trump and say that you think he should step down if convicted, then do a complete 180 on your position within only a few months. That is just it though, the Republican party is now Trump’s to do as he sees fit. When Trump says jump, the party asks how high.
The rot and delusion are so deep now that you cannot run as a standard moderate Republican and win elections anymore. If you as a candidate do not support ‘Stop the Steal’ (Jan. 6, 2021) or any of the culture war topics then you are written out of the party; kicked to the curb.
That is one of the most dangerous aspects of the Republican party as well. This cultish behavior being in the hands of someone who acts like a demagogue of sorts, is what horror stories are made of. On Jan. 6, 2021, Make America Great Again (MAGA) supporters showcased their capabilities, one can only imagine how much more severe their actions could get.
It is just sad that our own governor feels the obligation to participate in the madness. There are only two good reasons for this change of position. Governor Sununu is doing some political calculus to stay in the good graces of King Trump so he can have a future in the Republican Party. The other possibility is just did not believe in what he was saying about Trump, and neither are particularly good.
Gov. Sununu stated he is looking for culture change with a vote for Trump as well and I have to say this is probably the most agreeable part of his interview for this reason. The culture change that Trump, Sununu and the party seem to want is so incredibly unpopular that they could possibly make themselves irrelevant. The Republican culture war stance has become so unpopular that a state representative in Alabama flipped a Republican +7 district to a Democrat +25 district. One can only hope that Republicans can keep driving the party into the ground, that way we can get some real progress made.
I also hope the political calculation is working for Governor Sununu, maybe he will get a pretty sweet position out of it.
Timothy Fitzpatrick can be contacted at
tfitzpatrick@kscequinox.com
