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In the aftermath of the 2020 election, Tom Emmer, a leading Republican candidate to be speaker of the House, baselessly said there were “questionable” practices in the 2020 presidential election.
Chaos agents who will burn down any decision that isn’t a straight line to fascism. This group is tasked with pushing the Overton window continually rightward. E.g., Trump, Gaetz, MTG, Boebert.
Calculating Machiavellian strategists who are just as committed to dismantling democracy if it leads to GOP rule, but require that all steps lead to the end result before committing. This group works within the Overton window but will not move until they are reasonably assured victory. E.g., McConnell, McCarthy, Emmer.
Emmer’s post-election actions are perfectly aligned with the second group. He wouldn’t refuse to certify the election, because it was a move doomed to fail. But he supported the lawsuit because he believed (likely accurately) that if a court would provide legal cover for overturning the election, the coup would succeed.
Both groups work in symbiosis, with the first group moving public opinion to enable options for the second, and the second executing plans better than the first.
Yes, there are two archetypes of GOP currently:
Emmer’s post-election actions are perfectly aligned with the second group. He wouldn’t refuse to certify the election, because it was a move doomed to fail. But he supported the lawsuit because he believed (likely accurately) that if a court would provide legal cover for overturning the election, the coup would succeed.
Both groups work in symbiosis, with the first group moving public opinion to enable options for the second, and the second executing plans better than the first.