Liz Cheney appeared on CNN’s show State of the Union with Jake Tapper, where she said she is not ruling out running for president. In the process, she excoriate MAGA Republican politicians.
A Liz Cheney Presidential run?
The landscape of American politics is rapidly changing, and one of the most striking signs of this shift is the recent visibility and vocalizations of Liz Cheney. Once a peripheral figure largely known for her conservative legacy and family name, Cheney has become a symbol of a Republican Party at war with itself. She released herself from the Reagan Doctrine of not speaking ill of another Republican. The degeneration of the Republican Party required one of its stalwarts to go full monty.
In the video clip:
- Liz Cheney appeared on several network programs, including CNN’s State of the Union, to heavily criticize the current state of the Republican party and figures like Jim Jordan and Donald Trump.
- Cheney, who was part of the committee investigating the January 6th attempted coup, stated that Donald Trump should never become president again, warning that he poses a direct threat to American democracy.
- In the conversation, Cheney indicated that she may be considering a presidential run, although she remains a staunch conservative.
- Despite ideological differences, Cheney has garnered some goodwill among moderates, Democrats, and Republicans for her stance against Trump’s influence on the GOP.
- Cheney expressed her intent to spend the next year helping to elect “serious” and “sane” individuals to Congress from both parties to protect the Constitution and democratic institutions.
Let’s acknowledge the core of Cheney’s message: Donald Trump is a danger to American democracy. She has seen firsthand the degradation of her party, working on the committee investigating the January 6th insurrection. Like other conservatives such as Adam Kinzinger, Cheney is sounding the alarm that cannot be ignored. On this point, progressives can agree with her.
It’s crucial to maintain perspective. Liz Cheney is a conservative, committed to a political ideology that often contradicts progressive values, such as economic equality, social justice, and action on climate change. While her criticisms of Trump are welcome, her potential presidential candidacy represents a sort of “lesser of two evils” quandary. Progressives must think critically about this dynamic, as it could set up a false equivalence between conservatism without Trump and a genuinely progressive vision for America’s future.
Cheney is not just passively opposing Trump; she is actively laying the groundwork for a future political landscape that could be hostile to progressive ideals. Her commitment to electing “serious” and “sane” individuals to Congress is an ambiguous mission that could mean sidelining progressives in favor of moderates who compromise too readily on key issues. This strategy, in essence, might dilute the progressive push that is desperately needed to tackle challenges such as climate change, healthcare reform, and social inequality.
The former is not insinuating that progressives should reject alliances with anti-Trump conservatives when it comes to protecting American democracy. However, a savvy, tactical approach is required. We must be careful not to sacrifice long-term progressive goals for the immediate satisfaction of seeing traditional conservatives push back against Trumpism. It’s not just about who is sitting in the Oval Office; it’s about the policies they enact and the societal changes they shepherd.
Liz Cheney’s emergence as a vocal critic of Trump and MAGA Republicanism shouldn’t blind us to the larger ideological battle at hand. While her warnings about Trump should be heeded, progressives must also recognize the limitations of her vision for America and work tirelessly to offer a more just, equitable alternative. BUYER BEWARE!
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