Principles First Rollup February 2021
Your monthly source for the latest in Principled Leadership on the right
Welcome to the soft launch of the #PrinciplesFirst rollup, where each month one of our editors will consolidate and condense the relevant news and events to restoring integrity on the political right. We’re excited about this new project and aim to start a robust conversation amongst our movement. There is a lot to catch up on after a tumultuous January that included an insurrection, an impeachment, an inauguration, and reddit-inspired stock rise. Here’s the latest:
The Principles First movement gains steam. Representative Adam Kinzinger (R-IL), one of only 10 principled Republicans in the House to vote for impeachment, launched a new PAC, country1st.com. In the launch video posted on the website, he lays out “the party of first principles must once again put principles first.”
Calls for a GOP split.
Chris Vance, former chair of the Washington state GOP, argues in the Seattle Times principled Republicans like Senator Romney and Rep. Kinzinger should split off from the Republican party like Senator Henry Teller, a founder of the Republican party, did in 1896.
Thomas L. Friedman makes the case in the Salt Lake Tribune and NYT that a center right set of principled conservatives in the Senate could wield significant power with the even party split. He explains such a faction could be a key element of President Biden’s first term success.
The stakes and odds for a presidential conviction. In the Washington Post, Paul Musgrave uses game theory to explain why Republicans, despite their personal judgement, will probably not vote to convict former President Trump for inciting the January 6 insurrection. The best outcome, of course, is when the players cooperate to do the right thing. We have several years of evidence to suggest today’s congressional Republicans are not capable of cooperating to do the right thing and thus the odds of conviction are long.
A plea for “passion among the reasonable.” Your faithful editor argues in the Houston Chronicle that America needs a healthy Republican party and it will not happen until we prioritize integrity in leadership. This proposal assumes the antidote to a radical personality cult is an energized moderate wing of the party.
Senator Sasse reflects on the state of the Republican party. The Nebraska Republican discusses the party’s too-friendly relationship with Qanon conspiracy theories in the Atlantic. To reclaim the GOP for the rational, Senator Sasse says Republicans must have the courage to reject the Qanon nonsense. Then, he explains the party must rebuild with new, honest answers for our country’s grievances.
Bonus: If you haven’t had the chance to read #PrinciplesFirst founder Heath Mayo’s November piece in Texas Monthly, it’s worth your time. His manifesto lays out the roadmap of what principled conservatism looks like in Texas and has broad application.
Have something we should be reading? Send your recommendations for the Principles First Rollup to pfrollupeditor@gmail.com.
This week’s Principles First Rollup editor is Justin Louis Pitcock (twitter: @jlouispitcock)
This email forwarded to you? Sign up to receive our monthly rollup here.