Do the Republicans Even Believe in Democracy Anymore?

[DonViejo]

They pay lip service to it, but they actively try to undermine its institutions.

By Michael Tomasky
Contributing Opinion Writer

July 1, 2019

A number of observers, myself included, have written pieces in recent years arguing that the Republican Party is no longer simply trying to compete with and defeat the Democratic Party on a level playing field. Today, rather than simply playing the game, the Republicans are simultaneously trying to rig the game’s rules so that they never lose.

The aggressive gerrymandering, which the Supreme Court just declared to be a matter beyond its purview; the voter suppression schemes; the dubious proposals that haven’t gone anywhere — yet — like trying to award presidential electoral votes by congressional district rather than by state, a scheme that Republicans in five states considered after the 2012 election and that is still discussed: These are not ideas aimed at invigorating democracy. They are hatched and executed for the express purpose of essentially fixing elections.

We have been brought up to believe that American political parties are the same — that they are similar creatures with similar traits and similar ways of behaving. Political science spent decades teaching us this. The idea that one party has become so radically different from the other, despite mountains of evidence, is a tough sell.

It’s a hard sell to make for one very simple reason: It doesn’t have a name, this thing the Republicans are trying to do. It’s not true democracy that they want. But it’s also a bit much to call them outright authoritarians. And there’s nothing in between.

A couple of weekends ago, I tripped across a 2010 book called “Competitive Authoritarianism: Hybrid Regimes After the Cold War,” by Steven Levitsky and Lucan A. Way. If you pay close attention to such things, you will recognize Mr. Levitsky’s name — he was a co-author, with Daniel Ziblatt, of last year’s book “How Democracies Die,” which sparked much discussion. “Competitive Authoritarianism” deserves to do the same.

more
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/07/01/opinion/republicans-trump-democracy.html

[Goodheart]

1. Of course not. They only believe in power.

[KG]

2. short answer: no - longer answer: no

[Bradshaw3]

3. No, all about maintaining power at any costs for their overlords

Democracy, the Constitution, morals, ethics have all been tossed out the window as the repub hacks and shills do anything and everything that keeps the ruling elites in power.

[Leghorn21]

4. - not the Texan ones, apparently:

“Texas has passed a new law that lets lawmakers
conceal their emails and other communications
from public scrutiny, as they prepare to redraw
the state's voting maps. The law was authored
by two Republican legislators.”

Link to tweet

No offense, fine Texans - hard times for y’all, I know

[TwilightZone]

5. They haven't for decades.

Considering that one of their primary election strategies is disenfranchising people, it's pretty clear that they don't really believe in democracy.

[Shell_Seas]

6. No.

[Iliyah]

7. Hell no!

[ooky]

8. I can't think of a single thing they do that suggests they do.

For example, look at McConnell. What has he done lately that would be considered working to foster democracy?

[Buzz cook]

9. "Its not a democracy, its a republic"

How many times have you read a republican making that claim?

That nasty phrase started back in the 1950s and continues today. I'd say republicans have internalized that and for them a non-democratic republic is the ideal.

[Aristus]

11. They seem to forget, in their frenzied zeal to make the name of their party somehow 'relevant',

that we're both: a democratic republic.

Pre-Imperial Rome was a republic, but it wasn't a democracy.

The UK is a democracy, but it's not a republic.

[Buzz cook]

13. When they say that I used to engage.

Explaining the difference as you have here or try a snappy come back like "when did you give up the right to vote?". But then I realized that they were being dishonest. That phrase is meant to stop or divert conversation. It isn't meant to convey information or add to the conversation.

Its just a dirty rhetorical trick used by people who refuse to discuss issues or policy honestly. Because when it comes to policy, to matters of fact, they always lose. So anything they can do to shut down honest debate or divert to opinion and inanity is in their favor.

[ooky]

19. I've developed a standard answer for that specific piece of rhetoric.

"It's the kind of disingenuous argument a fundamentally dishonest person will try to make."

Try it with a RWer who tries spouting that crap and watch that person go off trying to defend his or her integrity.

[Bettie]

10. No, they have decided

that democracy isn't for them.

They are all about oligarchy now.

[stuffmatters]

12. No. Consider even how they've turned Democratic Party into "Democrat Party"

They absolutely do not want our party reminding everybody that the US is a democracy & that's what our party stands for.

[Hekate]

14. KnR

[Skittles]

15. no - they prefer fascism

it's obvious

[CrispyQ]

16. "Republicans don't want to govern, they want to rule."

I think Molly Ivins said that, or perhaps it was Ann Richards.

They are almost there, too. If we had lost the House in November, I honestly think it would be over. As is, 2020 will be a huge uphill battle with all of the money & election irregularities.

[Wounded Bear]

17. I've posted that line many times...though I don't claim authorship of it.

I don't remember where I first came up with it, but it is spot on.

[G_j]

18. The word is hate

They HATE it