Perdue and Loeffler already betrayed voters’ trust
Opinion by
Columnist
November 23, 2020 at 12:09 p.m. CST
Georgia’s
Republican Sens. David Perdue and Kelly Loeffler, who each face a runoff
election on Jan. 5, have privately indicated that they think President Trump is
a goner. That’s according to a call that the senators had with Republican
strategist Karl Rove and supporters. The Post reports:
“What
we’re going to have to do is make sure we get all the votes out from the
general and get them back out,” Perdue said of core Republican voters. “That’s
always a hard thing to do in a presidential year, particularly this year, given
that President Trump, it looks like now, may not be able to hold out.”
Perdue added that “we
don’t know that” yet — and said he fully supports Trump and his dispute of the
results in several states. But, he said, “we’re assuming that we’re going to be
standing out here alone. And that means that we have to get the vote out, no
matter what the outcome of that adjudication is on the recount in two states
and some lawsuits, and others. Kelly and I can’t wait for that.”
At the
same time, they are hoping that anti-Trump Republican voters will come out for
them. “I’m talking about people that may have voted for Biden but now may come
back and vote for us because there was an anti-Trump vote in Georgia,” Perdue
said on the call. “And we think some of those people, particularly in the
suburbs, may come back to us. And I’m hopeful of that.” This he believes even
though he and Loeffler trashed the results of a democratic election and
demanded the resignation of Georgia’s Republican secretary of state, Brad
Raffensperger, based on false accusations that he mishandled the electoral
process.
But why
should such voters back Perdue and Loeffler, given that they have defended
Trump’s impeachable conduct, ignored the president’s racism, refused to demand
that he concede a clear election defeat (including a 12,000-vote loss in
Georgia, which is now certified) and stalled (along with the rest of the GOP
Senate) any covid-19 relief package? Their cynicism — in trying to not offend
the enraged, anti-democratic president while attempting to appear normal enough
to win back mainstream voters — reflects the depths of their party’s depravity.
Republicans
have no positive message. None. They simply want to smear Democrats as radical
threats to Georgians. The Post reports:
“This is really not about
messaging. It’s not about persuasion in my race. It’s more about getting the
vote out,” Perdue said. He later said: “We have to remind people of what the
Democrats will do. It has nothing to do with Kelly or me.”
Actually,
it has everything to do with these two Republicans. Voters and media should
demand that they publicly answer some fundamental questions:
·
Did Trump lose Georgia?
·
If there is no evidence of fraud, isn’t Trump attempting to
overthrow a democratic election?
·
How is this different from the conduct of a tin-pot dictator?
·
How can you uphold your oath of office if you refuse to accept
the will of the people expressed in a democratic election?
·
Do you support efforts to disenfranchise millions of voters
around the country — who are disproportionately Black — with baseless
allegations of fraud? How do you expect any African American to support you?
·
If a Democratic senator contacted Georgia election officials and
urged them to throw out votes, as Sen. Lindsey O. Graham (R-S.C.) allegedly
did, would you demand an inquiry? Or that such a senator resign? Why are you
silent on Graham’s alleged actions?
·
Should state lawmakers overthrow the will of voters in their own
states by substituting in their own slate of Trump electors?
·
Should we prosecute people who attempt to intimidate election
officials to subvert the results of an election?
·
Why have you not insisted the transition begin to prevent any
national security lapses or glitches in the covid-19 vaccination effort?
·
If you are reelected, will you agree to confirm qualified,
mainstream executive branch nominees?
·
If you are reelected, will you agree to forgo a filibuster on a
stimulus package with a bipartisan majority?
·
If you are reelected, will you oppose baseless inquiries into
debunked allegations against Hillary Clinton, President Barack Obama and
President-elect Joe Biden’s son?
Perdue
and Loeffler certainly know Trump lost their state and the general election.
They nevertheless lack the nerve and decency to uphold the most fundamental
principles of democracy. They have been rubber stamps for Trump, even at the
expense of delivering much-needed relief to their constituents. If ever two
senators forfeited their moral authority and proved themselves unworthy of the
voters’ trust, it is these two.
