“I will do whatever it takes to make sure Donald Trump is never again anywhere near the Oval Office.”
—Rep. Liz Cheney (NeverTrump-MT) in her head-exploding, self-glorifying, beyond satire concessions speech after being crushed in the GOP state primary.
And there you have it: candor and saying the secret part out loud, though the anti-democratic motives of the “the resistance”/Democrats/ mainstream media cabal (the “Axis of Unethical Conduct”)is hardly a secret at this point, and was stated on Ethics Alarms, beginning, oh, nearly six years ago.
This is a woman (a Republican official who is aping Democratic Party talking points) who claims to be trying to save democracy by interfering with democratic processes and institutions. Does “anything it takes” set off an ethics alarm? If you’re Trump Deranged, it probably doesn’t. Cheney’s mad logic is that Donald Trump is an exception to the laws, rules and principles of democracy: he doesn’t get the benefit of them because he’s bad….mostly because he’s not in lock-step with the entrenched elite political class like the Bidens, Cheneys, Bushes and Clintons, and also a bit because he’s an unmannerly boor. Another crazed Trump hater, the Washington Post’s self-parodying Jennifer Rubin, writes in today’s Post that “Taking the Fifth should disqualify a politician from taking office.”
I bet Cheney would agree with that too, since decreeing that Donald Trump does not get the benefit of the Constitutional right against self-incrimination would fall under the category of “anything it takes.” “Anything it takes” for Cheney already has justified (in her mind) participating in a partisan political show trial without basic due process features like cross-examination of witnesses and at least some unbiased and objective participants, and voting for an what Prof. Turley accurately terms a “snap impeachment” solely aimed at—you guessed it—blocking Trump from running. For Democrats, who naturally think Cheney is wonderful for now, “anything it takes” has meant one plot, strained legal theory, Big Lie and investigation/fishing expedition after another.
It’s simple, except for crypto-totalitarians like Cheney: the way to keep Donald Trump out of the White House is to let the citizens of the country vote after being allowed to know all the facts from trustworthy sources. One thing Democrats and the media made clear in 2016 and since: if the democratic process doesn’t deliver what they think is wise, then those processes must be ignored or changed. Trump’s election meant that half the nation were racist fools, so he was an illegitimate President. The fact that he won in the Electoral College meant the Electoral College needed to be eliminated. The fact that he committed no crimes that could be proven meant that he should be impeached twice because, as Maxine Waters pointed out, the Democrats had the votes, and “crimes and misdemeanors” be damned. Now the fact that Trump’s appointees to the Supreme Court finally got Roe v. Wade struck down means that the Supreme Court must be defied.
I could have chosen other passages from Cheney’s vainglorious rant last night. For instance, the woman actually had the hubris to compare herself to Abraham Lincoln, saying, “Abraham Lincoln was defeated in elections for the Senate and the House before he won the most important election of all. Lincoln ultimately prevailed, he saved our union, and he defined our obligation as Americans for all of history.” That’s right: finding a way to neutralize Trump is the equivalent of ending slavery and preventing the dissolution of the Union.
The whole speech is invaluable to illustrate to future generations just how crippling Trump Derangement was, and the kinds of entitled, arrogant hypocrites fell prey to it.
Added: This seems relevant…
Ethics Alarms 
There’s speculation that she’s gearing up for a 2024 Presidential run. Her chances of getting the nod, I predict, are somewhere between slim and none… but I almost hope she does, so she can see just how quickly her new best friends in the Democratic Party and the MSM will stick a shiv in her back.
The nod from whom? And if she runs as a John Anderson 3rd party, she’ll just siphon off the NeverTrumps from the Democrats.
Republicans, of course. She wouldn’t try third party. She’s a devoted remnant of Ye Olde Republican Guarde™.
Abe Lincoln would have a better chance in the GOP primaries.
That’s kind of my point.
But my point is that Liz isn’t stupid. Remember, she was depending on Democrats to pull out the primary. If she’s going to run for POTUS, it has to be as a 3rd party. Not-Trumps (like DeSantis) will get votes, “NeverTrumps” aren’t a significant bloc.
Jack wrote, “The nod from whom? And if she runs as a John Anderson 3rd party, she’ll just siphon off the NeverTrumps from the Democrats.”
Unless I’m missing something here I think you should have written “NeverTrumps from the Republicans”
Why would Democrats ever vote for a NeverTrump Republican when they could vote for a Democrat?
No, the point is that NeverTrumps (like Bill Kristol) would vote Democratic unless they had a GOP NeverTrump option. Cheney would cost Trump no votes at all—if you hate Trump, you don’t vote for Trump.
Thanks for the clarification.
She’d split the GOP vote and guarantee Dementia Joe another term. But hey, if that’s what it takes to make sure Trump is never again president, I’m sure she’d do it.
How would she get through the primaries when she can’t win her own state?
If she runs independently she might not need it.
I see a lot of people saying she’s going to make a run at the presidency and she might, but that has got to be delusional. Who would vote for her? She lost her own her state badly. It wasn’t even close. Even if she had all other votes it would still be less than half of what her opponent got and its safe to assume that a large portion of votes she did get was people jumping party (there seems to be a number of sources documenting this).
Republicans just don’t like her. We’re not even talking about MAGA people. Democrats only support her because of the ‘get Trump’ narrative, but even if she somehow managed to win the primary on that point, she would no longer be useful to them as the ‘goal’ would have then been achieved.
This whole talking point just blows my mind. Why do politics cause people to loose their heads?
That is my thought, too. Once she runs as a Democrat, she will no longer be useful to the DNC and will get trounced. Methinks her political career is over. As the Last Remaining Crusader said, “She chose . . . poorly.”
jvb
After reading her speech, I have to hang my head in shame. We Wyomingites simply were not good enough for her. Here she was, fighting the most important battle in history, something as significant as the Civil War and the Civil Rights Movements, standing in the company of Abraham Lincoln, Ulysses S. Grant, and Martin Luther King, Jr (who might actually bow before her puissance), and we cruelly and unjustifiably tossed all that out the window. What character she displayed, willing to sacrifice her political career to do what she knew was right! What determination, to soldier on in the gale-force (or worse, Wyoming-force) winds of political adversity! O, truly, she was a giant in our midst, and we knew it not, and now we’ve naught left but to mourn her departure, and perhaps rue and lament our foolishness. We could have ridden her coattails to greatness, but instead we’ve chosen to fade again into obscurity.
Mourn, Wyoming, mourn, at what could have been, if you had only remained faithful!
let us all give thanks for that wonderful Authentic Frontier Gibberish. Well done, Gabby! Well done. And now, let us bow our heads in prayer.
(That really is some great 19th Century style rhetoric, Ryan.
Thank you, OB! I did struggle with where I wanted to leave off. Would it have completely ruined the whole thing if I had ended with something like “Surely we will come to regret our decision. But now to the party!”?
Or maybe a “Rarrit!” or two?
Simply brilliant, Ryan. Nicely done, indeed.
jvb
PS: I had to look up “puissance” because I wasn’t sure what it meant. It means greatness, prowess. But, it also refers to a horse’s ability to jump over obstacles. Excellent word.
It is the ‘p’ in pH.
Well praise Allah we have a Chemistry prof in the commentariat.
Liz Cheney really is a rationalizing immoral political hack.
Last night on CNN’s web page, there were six or more separate stories about (oh hell) LIONIZING Dizzy Lizzy. And how about that photo? That just happened by accident? And they showed about twenty people sitting in chairs outside in Jackson Hole. The entire event was put together by pros. I’m guessing they settled on Jackson Hole because they could get back to their jets in minutes and be back in D.C. before the sun was hardly up. Totally void of self-awareness. What is it with these multi-generational grifters, er, pols?
I’m sure our resident Wyomingan will correct me, but wasn’t Jackson Hole (in)famous for being a town in the Old West where outlaws gathered when they were hiding out? Do you think that resonates with Cheney?
On the other hand, I was reading an article recently (I think in the Federalist) that went into Cheney’s background. They were saying that her real home was in Virginia — she had about the same relationship to Wyoming as Clinton and RFK did to New York, although I assume her Dad is a native.
Jackson was probably the chosen venue in part because it is one of the most liberal towns in Wyoming. Its housing is pretty steeply priced. It is primarily a tourist town, being a good place to stay when exploring Yellowstone Park or venturing into the Tetons, either for hiking or skiing. A number of celebrities have maintained property in the area (my wife likes to cite Harrison Ford, who would often volunteer his helicopter for search and rescue in the area).
Yes, Liz Cheney is from Virginia, and peddled on her father’s name and station to become Wyoming’s representative. Dick Cheney was born in Wyoming, but did not live in Wyoming for most of his life, though he did visit frequently. Wyoming was proud to claim him while was a big name under Reagan and Bush. So there was some willingness to accept Liz because of her father, especially if she could wield her name to get Wyoming greater recognition and influence.
Now, keep in mind that Wyoming is the least populated state in the union, with only about 580,000 people. Based on the Wyoming Secretary of State’s website, Hageman won with 113,025 votes, with Cheney receiving 49,316 votes. Cheney won Teton County (where Jackson is the county seat) 5,955 votes to 1,928. The only other county that went for Cheney was Albany, where the University of Wyoming resides, and is almost as liberal as Jackson.
Isn’t Jackson Hole pretty much the American Davos? That’s amazing she carried Teton County. The Upper West Side comes to the Rockies!
The American Davos? A case could be made. Median home price: $2,955,000. Here are some listings: https://www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-search/Jackson-Hole_WY (note the 860 sq. ft. 1 BR – 1 bath for just shy of a million).
Jackson Hole is where the cool kids go now that Park City and Aspen have become passe.
I cannot name any significant legislation proffered by Cheney before or after Trump so other than a conservative vote on traditional issues she holds no special place in history. Had she not been a Cheney with name recognition I would hazard a guess that she might never have been elected in the first place.
I’d hazard that’s a pretty safe guess.
A comment (cited from the NY Post) to the WSJ article announcing Lizzie’s new “I hate Trump” PAC seems relevant:
https://www.wsj.com/articles/liz-cheney-forms-new-political-group-ponders-a-presidential-bid-11660751670?st=lvzdr900itxetll&reflink=desktopwebshare_permalink
Someone else compared her tilting at windmills not to Lincoln or King, but to Kaepernick.
jvb
There’s another thing that’s always troubled me about Cheney and Kinzinger and their ilk: don’t they have any idea what it means to be on a team opposing another team? For her to spit in the collective face of her constituents and her fellow Republicans just defies any acceptable explanation. You don’t do that sort of stuff to your side. That’s what the opposition is for. Didn’t she have any sense of “He may be an asshole, but he’s OUR asshole?” It’s a two-party system. Choose one from Column A or Column B. No substitutes. “If you’re not for us, you’re a’gin us. It’s basic human behavior. It’s as if she switched from the defense to the prosecution in the middle of a trial. You just don’t do that. The system can’t function if people do that. She seems oblivious to this fundamental. I guess Jack’s put his finger on it saying her loyalty to her father and his legacy trumps every other thing.
I heard a rumor that Waters is selectively pro-riot.
And now for something completely different: Mike Wallace’s son thinks Liz Cheney IS Abraham Lincoln!
https://www.realclearpolitics.com/video/2022/08/17/chris_wallace_liz_cheney_has_declared_war_on_donald_trumps_republican_party.html
He’s a one-man Democrat party talking point distributor. Chris: How is Trump a threat to democracy and the Republic? And you can’t say, “He’s not a Democrat!”
The worst thing for Liz would be to run for President as a Republican.
She may be a darling in the media now, but the moment she becomes some Democrat candidate’s opponent, she’ll find out how quickly she gets the Sarah Palin treatment instead.
Who was Palin’s running mate again? “John McClane?” No, wait, that was the guy from Die Hard. Don’t worry, it’ll come to me . . . .
–Dwayne
My crystal ball says Liz Cheney switches parties.
An interesting premise, DanL, but I suspect her entire raison d/etre right now is the destruction of Trump. I don’t think she cares about anything more than that. Running as a D would put the progressive long knives out for her even faster. To that end, its more likely she runs as an R as long as she can, in an attempt to weaken him in the primary fight, and then runs as an independent, to pull votes away from him in the general. If her new best friends the Dems succeed in gaining a drooling sock puppet a second term, well… c’est la guerre, eh?
Here is Frank Bruni.
Ah, yes. Frank L. Bruni, former theater critic, who was essentially (as James Taranto once said) a “wannabe pundit.”
Fortunately, for Bruni, the Times thinks that’s qualification enough.
And Bruni will be among the first to plant the shiv in her back, if it ever gets that far.
The shivs are already out.
https://www.msnbc.com/opinion/msnbc-opinion/liz-cheney-s-jan-6-awakening-does-not-absolve-her-n1298097
Well, that didn’t take long, did it Liz. If it’s anything, the left is efficient.
I wonder why they have their panties in a bunch over January 6th? It could be argued that while reasonable person would say we shouldn’t be destroying other people’s property, these are not reasonable times.