{"id":145,"date":"2026-05-21T07:36:20","date_gmt":"2026-05-21T07:36:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/nextaddressamerica.com\/?p=145"},"modified":"2026-05-21T07:36:20","modified_gmt":"2026-05-21T07:36:20","slug":"hopeless-conservative-urges-idealists-to-give-up-trying-to-save-the-gop","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/nextaddressamerica.com\/?p=145","title":{"rendered":"Hopeless: Conservative urges idealists to ‘give up’ trying to save the GOP"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

President Donald Trump has so transformed the Republican Party that it is beyond saving, at least according to one prominent conservative.<\/p>\n

Read more Senators tell Marco Rubio: Trump\u2019s face has no place on US passports<\/a><\/p>\n

Writing for The Dispatch, conservative commentator Kevin D. Williamson compared Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) to one of the state\u2019s political heroes, Sam Houston. Like Cornyn, Houston was punished by Texas voters for an unpopular position: In Houston\u2019s case, opposing the extension of slavery, and in Cornyn\u2019s case the simple fact that Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is perceived as more popular with the party base.<\/p>\n

\u201cDonald Trump routinely denounces his critics as \u2018disloyal to the Republican Party\u2019 (his verbatim description of Rep. Thomas Massie, the Kentucky libertarian who has sometimes chided Trump over his weakness for profligate spending), but Trump is, in all things, first and foremost a liar, and he does not give a fig about party loyalty,\u201d Williamson wrote. \u201cTrump cares about loyalty to Trump, and the more cynical reader here might reasonably substitute \u2018subservience\u2019 or \u2018servility\u2019 or \u2018slavish boot-licking\u2019 for \u2018loyalty.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

He added, \u201cFar from being a party man, Trump has made a point of defeating Republicans who are inconvenient to him, whether they be obscure Indiana state legislators who declined to follow Texas\u2019 gerrymandering example or state-level election officials who declined to participate in his 2020-2021 attempt at a coup d\u2019\u00e9tat.\u201d<\/p>\n

Given Texans\u2019 preference for Paxton over Cornyn, Williamson argued that it shows the Republican Party is beyond hope when it comes to overcoming its fealty to Trump.<\/p>\n

\u201cImagine a rich, middle-aged car salesman who ditches his wife and starts dating a 21-year-old stripper with a meth problem, and then imagine that guy is a state\u2014that\u2019s Texas, Anno Domini 2026,\u201d Williamson wrote. \u201cWith a slowing economy, rising prices, and the slow but steady creep of problems very similar to those facing other states\u2014housing, infrastructure, etc.\u2014Texas has some real issues facing it. It also has some imaginary issues facing it, such as the supposed takeover of \u2026 the Dallas suburbs \u2026 by Islamist radicals. Texas Republicans, having not very much useful to say about the real issues, currently are focused on the imaginary ones.\u201d<\/p>\n

Because this is so effective, Williamson chided conservatives who believe the Republican Party can be salvaged.<\/p>\n

Read more Tennessee ex-cop wins massive settlement after being jailed for Charlie Kirk meme<\/a><\/p>\n

\u201cConservatives have been working to save the Republican Party\u2014in Texas and elsewhere\u2014from itself,\u201d Williamson argued. \u201cPerhaps it is time to give up that project. Like the car salesman with the meth-head paramour, the heart wants what it wants.\u201d<\/p>\n

He then concluded, \u201cAnd if Selena Gomez isn\u2019t your kind of sage, there\u2019s always Livy: Eventus stultorum magister est [experience is the teacher of fools].\u201d<\/p>\n

Williamson is not alone among conservatives in expressing concern that Trump endorsed Paxton instead of Cornyn. Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) argued that it \u201cputs that seat in jeopardy\u201d and asked, \u201chow does that help strengthen the president\u2019s hand when we lose a state like Texas?\u201d<\/p>\n

She characterized her reaction as \u201cSupremely disappointed.\u201d The same sentiment was expressed by Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME) who described Paxton as \u201can ethically challenged individual,\u201d likely referring to the accusations of bribery, abuse of power and multiple extramarital affairs made against him.<\/p>\n

\u201cJohn Cornyn is an outstanding senator and deserved, in my judgment, the president\u2019s support,\u201d Collins added. \u201cObviously, it\u2019s the president\u2019s call, but I\u2019m disappointed that he did it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wisc.) said he was \u201cspeechless\u201d and otherwise would offer no comment. Meanwhile Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC), a close ally to the president, tried to put a positive spin on the situation and said, \u201cI think Paxton can win. I think it\u2019d be three times more expensive.\u201d<\/p>\n

Read more Growing chorus of Republicans pledge to \u2018kill\u2019 Trump\u2019s $1.8 billion DOJ fund<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

President Donald Trump has so transformed the Republican Party that it is beyond saving, at least according to one prominent conservative.Writing for The Dispatch, conservative commentator Kevin D. Williamson compared Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) to one of the state\u2019s political heroes, Sam Houston. 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