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Republicans Have More To Fear From Their Base Than Democrats Do
“What were you thinking?”
That’s the question the US conservative talk show host Erick Erickson addressed to his Republican friends earlier this week.
Specifically he was wondering how they ever thought they could get away with lying to their followers about the outcome of the 2020 election, and what they thought those followers would do once whipped up into a frenzy.
Read the transcript here:
https://ewerickson.substack.com/p/thank-you-for-your-service
This is the first time I’ve seen someone address what I’ve been wondering since November about Republicans who think they can lead and stay aligned with the base by lying to them.
Mobs are fickle.
The minute they decide or realize it’s all been a lie — perhaps even one that took in Trump himself, because he must remain blameless — they will turn on the liars. Hawley. Cruz. Jordan. All of them.
Because there is a material difference between the election lie and the taxes lie and the health care lie and the immigration lie and the free trade lie. The election lie is manifestly demonstrable, as Erickson points out. And as more Republican leaders like Graham and McConnell try to execute…
