Trump is Interfering in the Georgia Senate Race

A short seven days ago, I opined about David Perdue’s challenge to Raphael Warnock for Georgia senator in 2022. As you may recall, Warnock’s and Jon Ossoff’s wins gave control of the Senate to the Democrats.

The winds of change blew in from Florida and suddenly Perdue has changed his mind about running.

I wonder why that happened? Could it possibly have something to do with Perdue’s trip to see Trump and kiss the ring…I mean…get his endorsement as all Republican candidates must do these days?

The New York Times is reporting that Perdue had dinner and a “lengthy round of golf” with Trump last Friday. Supposedly the meeting did not go well. Trump kept harping on his determination to get revenge on both McConnell and the governor of Georgia, Brian Kemp.

You remember Kemp, right? The Republican governor who refused to “find” votes for Trump and overturn the election results in Georgia? Trump is still livid about it and determined to primary and defeat him. Kemp just happens to be up for re-election in 2022.

What does this have to do with Perdue? As a Republican, he does not want to be caught between an angry former president and his own state governor. Can’t say that I blame him. So he has done the cowardly thing and dropped out of the senatorial race.

Kelly Loeffler, who lost her seat to Warnock, says that a second campaign is on the table, but has made no firm decision. Can you blame her? Since we weren’t privy to Trump’s conversation with Perdue, we don’t know what conditions were attached to Trump’s support in the 2022 race.

I call Perdue a coward because he is not standing up to Trump as he and all of the members of the Republican Party should be doing. Minority Leader Mitch McConnell has decided that the best way to get rid of Trump is to ignore him but that only works if everyone ignores him.

If it’s only McConnell and a few renegade Republicans ignoring Trump while everyone else continues to defer to him, it will only make Trump’s claims of being the leader of the Republican Party and the presumptive Republican presidential candidate in 2024 stronger.

I wish that I could say that Republicans are sabotaging themselves with this continuing deference to Trump but the reality is that they are sabotaging the entire country.

As long as Trump remains a significant player in the political arena, especially as a presidential candidate, we remain in danger of another insurrection. His supporters will not hesitate to commit violence to ensure him victory.

I know that I have said in the past and many people are saying now, that conviction in any or all of the criminal and civil cases pending against Trump will result in him being sent to jail and effectively ending his political career.

What we aren’t taking into account are the appeals. Trump is 74 years old. If he is convicted and threatened with jail, his legal team will simply appeal the decision(s). And appeal. And appeal. And appeal until Trump dies of old age.

In the meantime, he will be handpicking candidates to run in the 2022 Congressional races and then running for president in 2024 putting us right back where we were in 2020.

Except the Democrats don’t have a strong candidate to run against Trump unless the Biden agenda is enacted so that the pandemic is brought under control, the economy can re-open and people can get back to their normal lives.

Then the economy needs to start growing as overdue infrastructure is built or repaired, the Green New Deal is implemented and our broken immigration system is reformed.

That’s a lot of ifs because it is all dependent on the midterm elections. Traditionally, the ruling party loses seats during the midterms because voters are unhappy with the job that they have done or not done.

If Democrats lose the House and Senate or even just the Senate, then we will be back to the bad old days of Republican obstructionism and McConnell resuming his favorite role of Grim Reaper where House bills go to die.

Republicans must find the courage to either ignore Trump or stand up to him. He cannot be allowed to choose who will run for office, who will be primaried and then make another run for the presidency.

We already know what he will do if he loses another presidential election. Except this time will be more violent. His supporters have gotten a taste for blood which just makes them want more.

I don’t know about you, but I am truly frightened at the cowardice of the Republican Party. They are enabling Trump and putting all of us in danger.