US Republican Party Backs Putin

Now that senior Republicans have declared they are determined to stop aiding Ukraine, we need to understand why they are so eager to support Putin’s war

Image credit: Vanity Fair

First of all, it’s important to acknowledge just how successful the US Republican Party has been over the last sixty years. Not only have Republicans effectively controlled the Congress for more years in total than the Democrats (26 years to 25 years), but they’ve also held the Presidency more often too (32 years to 24 years, assuming the Biden administration is permitted to run to its end in 2024). In addition, all polls suggest Republicans will take the House this November and may take the Senate also, further extending their dominance. This is despite Republicans frequently promoting policies that a majority of US voters disagree with.

How have they achieved such a successful run?

Starting with the Nixon campaign of 1968, the Republican Party has utilized many techniques taken from modern marketing and fashioned from them a recipe for electoral success that it’s been refining and amplifying ever since. Moreover, Republicans have unashamedly sought advantage wherever it could be found, from gerrymandering voting districts so as to disempower minorities to passing a deluge of legislation that universally favors the ultra-rich who reliably contribute funds to Republican re-election…