WN: I have been in profound disagreement over the years with Liz Cheney and her dad–not least in their nonsensical addiction to “American Exceptionalism.”1 I have written often that the only way in which America is exceptional is its utter cringeworthy status as the most brutal Empire known to history. In fact, their commitment to that Big Lie is even more dangerous (vis à vis the world America plunders), arguably, than Trump’s cultists’ addiction to the Big Lie about the 2020 election. If only her blindness would reverse to blazing perception of the true brutality of American Empire–as it did to the brutality of Trump (premier product of American Exceptionalism, and therefore the world’s Public Enemy Number One)–I would herald such a dramatic conversion with great wonder and joy . . .
One thing at a time, though. But for now: what a demonstration of tenacious courage in the face of clear and present danger! . . .
And for that grander conversion, Cheney would lose entirely all political relevance in terms of fellow Americans. But she would save her soul . . .
Much discussion of Trump’s response to Cheney’s loss has focused on his gloating. And he certainly did plenty of that. But Trump also posted this on Truth Social:
I assume that with the very big Liz Cheney loss, far bigger than had ever been anticipated, the Jan. 6 Committee of political Hacks and Thugs will quickly begin the beautiful process of DISSOLUTION? This was a referendum on the never ending Witch Hunt. The people have spoken!
This is epic nonsense, given that around 170,000 people voted in the Wyoming primary, or approximately 0.05 percent of the country. But it points to something worth dwelling on: For Trump, the targeting of Cheney is very much about debilitating the institutions that are struggling to preserve U.S. democracy against his movement’s assault on it.
Please now see this excellent interview:
excerpts:
‘I Love My Country More.’
Representative Liz Cheney was blown out in her reelection bid last night. She lost the Wyoming Republican primary to Harriet Hageman, which in their deep-red state is tantamount to losing the general election. Hageman was once a Cheney ally and a critic of Donald Trump, but she is now a Trump booster and an election denier. Like so many Republicans, Hageman has decided that the humiliation of bending the knee to Trump is a price worth paying in order to live in Washington, D.C.
…
“To believe Donald Trump’s election lies,” she said, “you must believe that dozens of federal and state courts who ruled against him, including many judges he appointed, were all corrupted and biased; that all manner of crazy conspiracy theories stole our election from us; and that Donald Trump actually remains president today.”
The remarkable thing about Cheney’s speech is that it was aimed squarely at the voters. It was certainly not aimed at Trump; Cheney, as well as anyone, knows the pointlessness of addressing Trump in anything like an adult conversation. It wasn’t even really directed at the institutional Republican Party, which is beyond repair at this point. Instead, Cheney grabbed Republican voters by the lapels and told them to snap out of their Trump-induced trance.
The irony is that Cheney and Hageman are eerily similar. As Insider reports, Cheney voted with Trump 93% of the time while he was in office. Both women agree on protecting oil over the environment, and both oppose the expansion of the government. In fact, Hageman served as an advisor during Cheney’s Senate run in 2014, and Hageman endorsed her congressional bid in 2016. They part ways only when it comes to Trump.
In Cheney’s concession speech, she pledged to do “whatever it takes” to make sure Trump stays out of the White House.
“Two years ago, I won this primary with 73% of the votes. I could easily have done the same again, the path was clear, but it would have required that I go along with President Trump’s lie about the 2020 election,” Cheney said.[↩]
Wayne Northey was Director of Man-to-Man/Woman-to-Woman – Restorative Christian Ministries (M2/W2) in British Columbia, Canada from 1998 to 2014, when he retired. He has been active in the criminal justice arena and a keen promoter of Restorative Justice since 1974. He has published widely on peacemaking and justice themes. You will find more about that on this website: a work in progress.
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