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Country over party.
That was the message of the event Thursday in Ripon, Wisconsin, the birthplace of the Republican Party—where Liz Cheney endorsed Kamala Harris after an introduction by the Republican former Sheriff of Iowa County, Steve Michek.
If you haven’t seen the speeches from Ripon yet, you should take a little while to watch. And then take a moment to send the link to any wavering Republicans you know.
It’s not that Liz Cheney agrees with Dems on every issue. Far from it.
For Republicans like Cheney now endorsing Harris to ensure she defeats Trump, it’s about patriotism that runs deeper than disagreements on policy.
Allegiance to our flag—and to the Republic for which it stands.
Some pundits have asked who the audience is for an event like this. Are undecided voters really going to take their cues from GOP politicians endorsing Harris?
It matters to one particular type of voter: highly engaged Republicans who know Trump crossed an uncrossable line.
Most undecided voters are deeply cynical about the political process. They assume it’s all rigged behind the scenes. For those voters, arguments about democracy ring hollow, and the messages about freedom and pocketbook issues matter the most.
Cheney’s message isn’t for them.
The impact of her endorsement is on another type of undecided voter, the Republican who thinks the Constitution and our flag are more sacred than any particular policy issue.
For those voters, when Trump disgraced and mocked our troops, when Trump abused the powers of office, and most of all, when Trump fomented a violent mob to end America’s exalted tradition of the peaceful transfer of power—he crossed a line.
It’s not just about holding Trump accountable for what he did. It’s about recognizing what his past crimes mean about what he’ll do next if he returns to power.
This is what Scott Walker doesn’t get. But these voters do.
January 6th isn’t something you “get over.” It’s a warning about an authoritarian movement that wants to end American democracy and give Trump his dreamt-of dictatorship on day one.
What do you call a failed coup? Practice.
What we saw on January 6, and what we’re learning more about in legal filings like Special Prosecutor Jack Smith’s new indictment, was the fruit of a tree that is rotten to its roots.
Trump had no intention of allowing voters to decide whether he would get a second term. He didn’t in 2020. He doesn’t now. He wants unlimited power, unconstrained by law, the Constitution, or the public.
Democracy is Greek for “rule by the people.” The people, not the rulers, decide who is in charge. That’s anathema to Trump. He’s laying the groundwork for another attack on democracy now. To defeat it, ensure Trump loses—and that it isn’t close.
If you don’t vote, shifts in power are things that just happen. You don’t have a say.
The more involved in politics someone becomes, generally, the more they realize that in our system, it really is up to the voters.
That’s why committed Republicans and Democrats alike work so hard to support their candidates. Because we know, we believe in our guts, we’ve seen the proof… that this work can change the outcome.
And that’s precisely why Trump’s assault on democracy is such a slap in the face to some staunch Republicans. It’s an insult to their faith in American democracy, and to their years of work to advance their values through a system governed by the Constitution.
When Republicans who’ve been a part of the political system speak out about Trump’s threat to democracy, they’re speaking not to the disengaged cynics who want to burn it all down. They’re speaking to other Republicans who understand there’s something to lose.
How many of those folks are there? Maybe not a lot. But this is Wisconsin. A 1% shift can flip the entire outcome.
For those voters, the Republicans who see themselves as part of the lineage of Lincoln and the Little White Schoolhouse in Ripon, Thursday’s event mattered. Let’s make sure they find out about it.
Let’s go out there and end Donald Trump’s political career—by charting a new way forward with Kamala Harris.
We have 31 days to knock on doors, call voters, and talk to our neighbors. Volunteer here.
Your donations to WisDems will give us the resources to reach out to all Wisconsin voters. Chip in here.
For more, I joined Jen Psaki on MSNBC Thursday night to talk about this event.
