“We are all McDaniel Republicans now.”
That is the new mantra of the few hundred rabid supporters of former U.S. Senate candidate and current state Senator Chris McDaniel who, in the wake of Judge Hollis McGehee’s dismissal, took to social media to continue to rally their ever dwindling army, peddling division and false hope, the two ingredients necessary for them to continue their hostage crisis on the Mississippi Republican Party while begging for more of your money since all of those out of state groups propping McDaniel up have tapped out.
What these ‘McDaniel Republicans’ would have you believe is their sect alone possesses the true conservatives who hold fast to Reagan and the Constitution; they are the real American Patriots, fiscally, morally and politically speaking, and all other Republicans are RINOs who should be purged from the party.
Yet in practical politicking terms, ‘McDaniel Republicans’ have a ways to go if they are to be taken seriously long term. Their consistent missteps, figuratively and literally, continue to drive a wedge between conservative voters but they are too hyped on the sugary Kool-aid to face reality.
In this election cycle being a ‘McDaniel Republican’ in the most real sense has come to mean…
– rattling off ear tickling catch phrases to liberty loving conservatives like Jimmy Swaggart on a street corner.
– sneaking into a nursing home to snap photos and believing it’s OK.
– getting locked in a courthouse and blaming your opponent for your own actions.
– disenfranchising voters in entire counties because you didn’t like the results.
– sending fundraising emails for a challenge you know is flawed and on thin ice legally.
– allowing out of state interests to run and finance your campaign over the interests of Mississippi.
– claiming an election was stolen by 40,000 black Democrats with no evidence to back it up.
– hyping race baiting and party raiding by your opponent without looking in the mirror to recognize your own questionable tactics.
– calling other conservatives RINOs when you are openly encouraging conservatives to crossover, violate state law and vote for a liberal Democrat over your party’s nominee while missing the irony.
– demanding state elected officials appear before you so you can berate them for not supporting your candidate.
– and so on…
Perhaps peddling a new group think brand like ‘McDaniel Republicans’ sounds more plausible to some over the well worn ‘Tea Party’ label at this point given that in reality many once self described Tea Partiers are reluctant to embrace the movement now seemingly being led from the fringe.
But you see, to these ‘McDaniel Republicans’ it’s as if McDaniel has some Moses-esque quality of leading them out of a Republican establishment bondage and into the Tea filled promised land of Cruz, moving from the MSGOP to the McGOP, yet there has been no divine anointing and the sea isn’t parting.
Chris McDaniel has repeatedly said his efforts both during the campaign and throughout the challenge were bigger than him, that it wasn’t about just one man or one election.
If he is true to his word McDaniel would do well to shut this Savior hunt down and end the divisive rhetoric he continues to engage in on Facebook, Twitter and pro-him blogs as well as in his speaking engagements that continues to propagate such idol worship. Otherwise, the criticism that he is relishing in his martyr role while allowing his narcissism to lead his actions will only get louder and more robust.
It is the bigger man who realizes that a worthy cause, a principled stand is not about him, and when it becomes about him, to step away. McDaniel could end all of this in short order, yet either he is in too deep and in over his head or he is enjoying the attention too much to do so.
The question is: Can McDaniel be the bigger man at this point or will he continue to play the martyr card?
