The Virginia election showed that authentic patriotism was not an issue

By David W. Marshall
TriceEdneyWire.com Columnist

There are times in the midst of a major crisis where it is necessary for individuals who have courage and conviction to actually use it by speaking truth to power. The challenge to boldly speak up is even greater when the power is the presidency of the United States. Former President Richard Nixon once mentioned to an aide, “people react to fear not love; they don’t teach that in Sunday school, but it’s true.” Being the highest elected official in the nation, he effectively governed by using tactics of fear, revenge and intimidation. Unfortunately, a leader who is feared can often get what they want (good or bad). In a democracy, we have a president, not a king. Nixon was the only president to resign from office due to democracy working as it should.

The meaning behind democracy has certain critical elements. It means the people are to choose their representatives through free and fair elections. Secondly, it requires those representatives be held accountable for their policies and their conduct in office. And third, no one is above the law, not even the president. The day before Nixon resigned, there was a “truth to power” moment. Senator Barry Goldwater, the House Minority leader and the Senate Minority leader went to the White House to speak face-to face with the president. Nixon was told that he no longer had the support of his party. As a result, impeachment in the House and conviction in the Senate was unavoidable.

As a Republican, Goldwater himself was prepared to vote for conviction and removal. With public opinion aligned against him and no longer having the political cover from Republicans to protect him, Nixon made the right decision by stepping down. While politics is not always popular or interesting, there are times when it needs our undivided attention. Whether we know it or not, the lack of genuine patriotism from those in power has consequences which will touch our lives. Current GOP Congressman Adam Kinzinger may not be a household name, but his recent retirement announcement is an indication that something is wrong. For those who want our political leaders to hold each other accountable for their wrong doing, Kinzinger’s departure is a noteworthy concern. For speaking truth to power to Donald Trump and today’s GOP establishment is a political death sentence for any bold and conscience-minded Republican.

Adam Kinzinger rise to power was back during the Tea Party movement with the support of Sarah Palin. In 2010, the young Air Force veteran started his career as a reliable supporter for the GOP conservative agenda. He was the model Congressman who rarely broke party ranks. Today, he is not only disowned by the GOP base and white evangelicals but members of his family are calling him a “disgrace and embarrassment” to the family name. The rejection has nothing to do with his voting record or policies. After the January 6 Capitol insurrection, Democratic House leaders supported a resolution calling on then Vice President Mike Pence and the cabinet to remove President Trump from office. Kinzinger was the sole Republican who sided with the Democrats. Soon after, Kinzinger joined nine other House Republicans in voting for impeachment of the former president. With Congresswoman Liz Cheney, they are the only two Republican members on the January 6 Investigative Committee.

Again, in the case of the Illinois Congressman, this issue has nothing to do with liberal or conservative politics. It is about one man acting upon his personal patriotism and his loyalty to the elements of democracy. While many people of color may not agree with his voting record, we should take note that Kinzinger didn’t submit to the politics of fear and intimidation like most of his fellow party members. He stated, “I don’t fear the president at all…The bottom line is I’m fine if I’m not reelected because I can look at myself in the mirror and I feel real peace.” Goldwater and Kinzinger are one in the same. Both were Republican lawmakers who stepped forward in holding their presidents accountable for impeachable offenses. One was insulted and isolated. The other was respected.

Goldwater and the Republicans saw through the Nixon lies and deception. They eventually found it unacceptable and proceeded with the proper course of action. Today, such safeguards within the Republican Party are mostly purged. While Nixon stepped aside, Trump steam rolls ahead. He is allowed to do so by power hungry party leaders, a cult-like political base and deceived white evangelicals. The response by conservatives to the Capitol insurrection pales in comparison to the reaction we witnessed to the 9/11 terrorist attacks. Despite seeing the violent activities from January 6 before our own eyes, there are attempts to rewrite the narrative as being a legitimate response to a stolen election.

The type of allegiance and patriotism we saw from Republicans during the Watergate and 9/11 eras is over. It is now replaced with allegiance to one man. Virginia, which is a swing state in the 2024 presidential election, just elected Glen Youngkin as its new governor. At one time, Youngkin told Virginians that “Trump represents so much of why I’m running.” It is likely he and other future hand-picked candidates will be similar to Kinzinger with their far-right agenda. On the other hand, it is unlikely they will follow Kinzinger’s patriotic example by protecting democracy at all costs. The nation has changed and this is a new moment in time. From past elections, voters could safely assume that most of their elected officials regardless of political party would automatically protect and defend democracy by holding others accountable. The modern Republican Party has proven we can no longer make that assumption.

David W. Marshall is founder of the faith based organization, TRB: The Reconciled Body, and author of the book “God Bless Our Divided America”. He can be reached atwww.davidwmarshallauthor.com.

This article originally published in the November 15, 2021 print edition of The Louisiana Weekly newspaper.