Each election cycle is a stark reminder that the balance of power in Washington, D.C., is always shifting. Either major political party may win a partial majority or total control for a season, but this does not last. That the Republican Party has been defeated at the presidential and congressional levels only serves to reinforce the need for long-term thinking among its members.
During his four years, President Trump enjoyed many successes that pleased his base. The eight years of President Barack Obama started to become a distant memory as the populist president with outrageous style dominated politics. But just as quickly as this new era began, it is set to end. Worst of all, the Right seems to be content with concluding this chapter in the worst way possible.
Since Nov. 3, the atmosphere has been one of unproven claims and conspiracies about a stolen election. Numerous legal challenges have failed miserably, and even former Attorney General Bill Barr declared "no widespread election fraud." None of this stopped the president from social media tirades and false claims about proof or even the vice president's supposed ability to overturn the results. Additionally, his tireless defenders continue to insist that he is the victor despite it not being true. Two of his defenders are Sens. Josh Hawley and Ted Cruz, both of whom are not just repeating the claims but placing action behind them in as public a way as possible. Others such as Sens. Ben Sasse and Tim Scott refuse to join them in objection.
There is a time limit for all political ambitions. Because of that, the GOP should not engage in behavior that would be rightly condemned if it came from the other side.
Disliking the results of an election is not reason enough to object to Electoral College vote certification. Allegiance to a temporary politician can and does cloud the minds of elected leaders and voters, whether they be Republicans or Democrats. More than that, the behavior of too many in the Republican Party is not only harmful now but detrimental to its future. The results of the general and runoff elections show that scenarios shift and tables are turned overnight. Stepping across a line means eventually, political adversaries will do the same. And even if Democrats have behaved that way in the past, Republicans should never rush to mimic them.
There is no disputing that Democrats are in control of the House and will soon have the presidency. Now that Democrats seem almost certain to gain control of the Senate, it is likely that the filibuster will be eliminated. During the campaign, Joe Biden indicated his interest in seeing it end. Others, such as Sen. Chris Coons, are possibly open to it as well. This would mean less bipartisanship, which ultimately hurts the public. Ultimately, the Democratic Party victories in Georgia were made possible because of the fixation on a "stolen" presidential election. Focusing so heavily on what had already been decided emboldened Democrats to clinch the remaining seats. If only Republicans had set aside what they could not change and tackled what they could, the results in Georgia might be different.
Short-term thinking has done real harm to the GOP. It is unclear just how long into a post-Trump future the MAGA fever dream will last. After Trump leaves, the party must reassess and reform. This can only be done by noticing the bigger picture, one that goes far beyond the boundaries of 2020. The endless, misaligned pushback against election results just highlights that the party still has much work to do.
Kimberly Ross (@SouthernKeeks) is a contributor to the Washington Examiner's Beltway Confidential blog and a columnist at Arc Digital.
