Maybe we should stop using the abbreviation GOP. It once stood for the Grand Old Party, but there’s very little grand about this bunch. Today’s Republican Party certainly is not old. Can you believe those MAGA extremists have been around for only eight years? And what about the idea of a political party? Once upon a time, Republicans collectively debated ideas and wanted to govern. Nowadays they’re just disciples of Donald. The party’s over. A big problem for those who bow at the altar of Trump is that he changes his mind more often than his socks. The mainstream media doesn’t want to call it out, but yesterday we saw a prime example of what to expect in a second Trump presidency — and it will be worse than the first, with more chaos and confusion. It has been bandied about that this time around the Trump campaign is more disciplined. But look at what happened when they faced their first big crisis this week. Arizona’s Supreme Court reaped exactly what Trump had sown: an outright ban on all abortions in the state. It is, as they say in Texas, about as welcome as a skunk at a lawn party. Even Republicans can read the polls, and denying women’s rights is a losing strategy. Bigly. The Republican politicians who applauded and embraced the overturn of Roe v. Wade with the Dobbs decision were suddenly running for the hills after the Arizona decision was announced, including the presidential nominee. “It went too far,” Trump said. Other Republicans in the state agreed: “This decision cannot stand,” “I don’t support it,” and “Disappointing to say the least” were among their reactions. Hold on. Is this the same crowd who was shouting hallelujah when Dobbs came down two years ago? Yup. Yesterday Trump said he would not support a national abortion ban. Let me repeat that for those in the back: Trump now says he does not want a national abortion ban. That directly contradicts what he said in 2016 and even last month. We know Trump will lie or say just about anything to get elected. Campaign promises are simply tossed out to pacify whoever needs placating at the moment. He has no agenda other than to get back in the White House. So his vow to oppose a national ban is spurious at best. At any rate, the reversal is bound to anger Christian evangelicals. Mike Pence said it was a slap in the face. But with 59 percent of the country believing abortion should be legal, Trump is now hedging his bets. Especially with the Arizona ruling coming just weeks after the Alabama Supreme Court ruled that frozen embryos are children, which led to many fertility clinics in the state stopping services. Not to mention the several abortion-related cases currently before the U.S. Supreme Court, including a challenge to access to medication that induces abortions. All of this will keep the issue of women’s bodily autonomy front and center through November and give the Biden campaign and all down-ticket Democrats an opening wide enough to drive a truck through. Democracies are supposed to reflect the will of the electorate, but Republicans have done a masterful job of stacking local governments and state courts with right-wing radicals. Now those legislators and jurists are making decisions that don’t reflect majority positions. But democracies also have a nifty way of rebalancing — it’s called an election. And no election is more important than the one on November 5, 2024. The daily whiplash of what Trump feels about any particular subject is dictated only by what position he thinks gives him the best chance to win. This opportunism is certainly not new in politics, but Trump’s brand of flip-flopping is spectacular in its audacity. If you want a candidate with morals, values, and convictions, you’d better look elsewhere … although we may have to revisit the “convictions” part soon. Stay tuned. Court convenes next week.
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