As we a reach a full year of “pandemic mode,” it is hard to describe all that has changed since March 2020. It’s a good thing this newsletter takes it one month at a time. Last month we saw Texas go cold and dark. We also witnessed an impeachment acquittal and a wave of state-party censures for Republican members of congress who voted for impeachment and conviction. The direction of the Republican party and the possibility of a third party are at the front of many minds. Here are a few things we read and watched last month of note in the links of the summaries below:
Republican exodus. At the beginning of February, Senator Ben Sasse (R-NE), put out a video response to the Nebraska state party’s efforts to censure him. In it, he points out that “political addicts don’t represent most Nebraska conservatives.” This sentiment can be extrapolated nationwide and is a central reason many people are leaving the Republican party across the nation.
2024 jockeying. Senator Ted Cruz (R-NE) had a rough February. He sought escape from the winter storm induced power outage in Texas on the beaches of Cancun, Mexico only to return the next day when the public relations fiasco caught fire. In the following weeks, he fell in with a host of other CPAC keynote speakers seeking to reignite the ashes of the MAGA movement. Former President Trump received 55% of the CPAC straw poll for the 2024 presidential race, while Senator Cruz polled in the single digits. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis seems to be picking up the most support from the Trump wing of the party while former UN Ambassador Niki Haley attempts to walk a tightrope.
Insurrection fallout. Following the January 6th attacks on the U.S. Capitol, the FBI’s assessment of future attacks suggests an increasing threat from domestic terrorists. FBI Director Christopher Wray testified before Congress this week shedding new light on the circumstances and response to the January 6th attack and dispelling far-right conspiracies.
Thoughts of a third party. Republicans, independents, and interested bystanders are all watching whether a third party will emerge or whether the several Republican factions will remain under the GOP tent. There are good reasons to think a third party is not viable. There are also reasons to think an open, non-partisan primary or ranked choice voting could produce better (more representative of the electorate) candidates or that a third party could indeed emerge.
Continuing decay of trust in institutions. The loss of faith in great American institutions continues to ail us. Political point scoring at the expense of doing the right thing seeds deep cynicism. Texas Governor Greg Abbott showed us why two weeks in a row first by falsely blaming wind power for the Texas blackout and then, seemingly without other purpose than political points, lifting the mask mandate in Texas (on Texas independence day nonetheless).
In #PrinciplesFirst news, our annual summit is scheduled for fall 2021. Check out the video here:
Don’t miss these opinion pieces by principles first members:
-John Storella: DON’T CALL THE JANUARY 6 INSURRECTIONISTS “CONSERVATIVE”
-Justin Louis Pitcock: “A CONSERVATIVE ALTERNATIVE TO THE GREEN NEW DEAL”
Have something we should be reading? Send your recommendations for the Principles First Rollup to pfrollupeditor@gmail.com.
This month’s Principles First Rollup editor is Justin Louis Pitcock (twitter: @jlouispitcock)
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