How much does Greg Gianforte matter?

In response to yesterday's post on the challenge of finding the elections that matter, I was asked about finding the entertaining races because of my well-documented fondness for the wackos in Congress.  I listed Rep. Greg Gianforte (Guess-Which-Party- MT), who became famous, or at least, infamous, when he physically assaulted a reporter, and then denied it, only to be called on his bald-faced, Trumpian lies by, not kidding here, Fox News reporters who were in the room at the time.  Apparently, at least at the time, there was such a thing as a lie that Fox wouldn't stomach from a Republican.  Those were the days...

Within hours of me posting my response, and with no hint of irony about the timing amid the Jamal Khashoggi murder scandal, Trump lavished praise on Gianforte, for assaulting a journalist.  I'd pretend to do a spit-take with coffee on my computer, but oh, what's the point?  Let's just state the obvious:  Trump approves of the assault, torture and murder of journalists.  Not a joke, not at all an exaggeration, and just not something that we are allowed to say in normal discourse, but this is The Unmutual Political Blog, where I speak truth, regardless of whether or not it is comfortable.  Trump lavishes praise on people like Vladimir Putin, Kim Jong Un, Saddam Hussein, and any other psychopathically evil dictator he can find, calls the press, "the enemy of the people," and picks fights with democratically elected leaders around the world who are our allies.  Let's not do the feigned surprise here, OK?  And since that's the obvious point, let's turn our attention to Gianforte.

What does it mean to have people like Greg Gianforte creeping around politics?  I make snarky comments about these psychopathic dipshits brightening my day on a regular basis, but let's take a moment to think about whether or not it matters that Congress includes people like Trump's idol here.

There is a real effect to having groups like the Freedom Caucus, which refuses to bargain in good faith.  Good faith matters, and anyone who refuses to bargain in good faith... well, guess what I think of such people.  There is a real effect to having ideologically extreme Members of Congress, even if they are willing to bargain in good faith, and no, those aren't the same things.  There is a real effect to having Members of Congress who resort to tactical extremism, or what is sometimes called "constitutional hardball."  I distinguish between them, but this isn't the place for that.

I'm just asking about having members in your caucus who are absolutely batshit crazy, psychopathic, violent, idiotic nutjobs.

When such a person is president, the capacity for unchecked executive action is greater, and hence the danger is far greater, but in Congress, what can these people do?  Mostly, they vote, but they vote on an agenda that is set by legislative leaders, so they are constrained.  But, they also constrain their legislative leaders and choose their legislative leaders.  Paul Ryan is not who Greg Gianforte would choose as Speaker, if he had his druthers.  Who would Gianforte pick?  I just read a book called The Accidental Sorcerer, by KE Mills (pen name for Karen Miller), and King Lional is about the right variety of psychopath for him, but the point here is the constraint.  Right now, there is pressure within the GOP over the next House leader.  There is a high likelihood that it won't matter because the Dems get the House, but mostly, what the idiotic, psychopathic nutjobs in the House GOP caucus have done is shoot themselves in the feet by refusing to bargain.  That's the consequence of the particular variety of nutjobbery that Gianforte represents...

… when they are left in the House rather than the White House.

Keep in mind that "knuckleheads," as John Boehner used to call them, did drive him from the Speakership, and he was one of the best Speakers of the modern era, but in terms of outcomes, what does Gianforte do?  I'm not actually sure.  Mostly, he just goes into 'roid rage and provides me with entertainment.

OK, fair point, he degrades everything about the political system and diminishes the very notion of democracy, while protecting the most corrupt and dangerous President this country has ever seen, but I think it is time, once again, for my favorite quote from a racist, old shitbag named H.L. Mencken.

Democracy is the theory that the common people know what they want, and deserve to get it, good and hard.

People like Greg Gianforte are in office because some idiots in Montana put him there.  Same with every other idiot and psychopath in elected office.  Yay for democracy!  You like gettin' it good and hard, right?

Tweet

Subscribe to receive free email updates: