Boycotts, Gaetz scandal, Chauvin trial, and more

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The hotly anticipated tell-all book from former Republican Leader John Boehner is ruffling a lot of feathers, especially among some of his more infamous former colleagues. But his harsh words for the likes of Jim Jordan, Ted Cruz, and Donald Trump don't tell the story of the GOP's decline nearly as well as the sagas of Matt Gaetz, Louie Gohmert, and the RNC's quasi-fraudulent fundraising schemes. Gaetz is embroiled in allegations entailing underage sex trafficking and drugs, Gohmert just today suggested that people killed in the Jan. 6 attack actually prove the rioters aren't responsible, and the RNC has been effectively stealing from its own supporters. Crime, conspiracy, and cheap tricks are dominant forces in the GOP, and they will remain such until the party starts cleaning its own house. —Mike Ongstad, Communications Director, Stand Up Republic

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** Rubin: GOP defends corporate speech...unless it supports voting rights
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"Republicans sought to suppress voting by invoking the Big Lie of voter fraud and 'irregularities,' which was repeatedly debunked in more than 60 court cases brought against election results. Now, when businesses oppose those efforts and exercise their First Amendment rights, which Republicans ordinarily consider 'fundamental' and worthy of protection, they seek to use the power of the government to punish those whose speech they dislike." —Jennifer Rubin in The Washington Post ([link removed])

Jennifer Rubin is an attorney and political opinion columnist at The Washington Post.

MORE: The truth about Georgia's voter law —The Atlantic ([link removed])


** Zelizer: Will the GOP dump Matt Gaetz?
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"The Gaetz scandal will be another test to see how far Republicans are willing to go to protect their own. Over the past four-and-a-half years, we have repeatedly witnessed how the immense power of partisanship within the GOP overwhelms its moral concerns—despite the party's widespread support among evangelical Christians. As long as Gaetz is considered valuable to the party—and a major player among Trump supporters—it is a safe bet that the modern GOP will stand by his side until the bitter end." —Julian Zelizer on CNN ([link removed])

Julian Zelizer is a professor of history and public affairs at Princeton University and the author of "Burning Down the House: Newt Gingrich, the Fall of a Speaker, and the Rise of the New Republican Party."

MORE: Matt Gaetz reportedly sent $900 to an ally now accused of sex trafficking who gave the money to young women —Insider ([link removed])


** Ackerman & Schoen: The future depends on reform now
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"Our current system offers no stable solutions and no consensus of ideas, which is why younger voters across the country in particular want to see more unaffiliated candidates. We must act on these political and electoral reforms, while maintaining those rules that encourage bipartisanship, to make our democracy one that is truly by and for the people." —Peter Ackerman & Douglas Schoen in ([link removed]) The Hill ([link removed])

Peter Ackerman is the founder of Americans Elect. Douglas Schoen is a consultant who served as adviser to former President Bill Clinton and former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg.

MORE: Eric Carlson: I'm a conservative. Here's why I support the For the People Act —The Fulcrum ([link removed])


** Kreiss & McGregor: It's bigger than social media
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"Instead of nonpartisan and apolitical approaches to polarization and tech reform, Facebook and the broader community of researchers, reformers, policymakers, and journalists concerned with social media and democracy should focus their attention on the threats posed by anti-democratic extremism and the destabilizing effects of racial inequality. White supremacy not only prevented our country from becoming a truly multiracial democracy until the 1960s, it has proven to be destabilizing and destructive to democracy." —Daniel Kreiss & Shannon McGregor in ([link removed]) WIRED ([link removed])

Daniel Kreiss is the Edgar Thomas Cato Distinguished Associate Professor in the Hussman School of Journalism and Media and a principal researcher at the Center for Information, Technology, and Public Life at UNC Chapel Hill. Shannon McGregor is an assistant professor in the Hussman School of Journalism and Media, and a senior researcher at the Center for Information, Technology, and Public Life at UNC Chapel Hill.

MORE: White supremacists, extremists may use Chauvin trial to further their agendas: DHS —ABC News ([link removed])
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** Feldman: Gerrymandering may head back to SCOTUS
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"The For the People Act's bold anti-gerrymandering initiative will face judicial hurdles if it is enacted. The Supreme Court will have the ultimate say. With more conservatives than liberals on the bench, the court could very well strike it down. That would leave us with the same partisan gerrymandering problem that plagues our democracy now more than ever." —Noah Feldman in ([link removed]) The Frederick News-Post ([link removed])

Noah Feldman is a
Bloomberg columnist and host of the podcast "Deep Background." He is a professor of law at Harvard University and was a clerk to Supreme Court Justice David Souter.

MORE: Voting restrictions aren't the primary threat to U.S. democracy —New York Magazine ([link removed])


** Scott: Disinfo is still a top threat to democracy
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"Hearings held by the House of Representatives on March 25 focusing on the role Facebook, Twitter, and Google played in the Jan. 6 insurrection did not yield definitive conclusions. However, they did suggest bipartisan support for holding the companies accountable for the spread of disinformation. The Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol building...has brought forth an uncomfortable reality: Disinformation in all of its insidious forms is an existential threat to civil society and democratic ideals." —Thomas Scott in MinnPost ([link removed])

Thomas Scott is an adjunct professor of social sciences at Metropolitan State University and a professor of education at Saint Mary's University of Minnesota.

MORE: U.S. intelligence report warns of increased offensive cyber, disinformation around the world —CyberScoop ([link removed])


** Benson: Is there a solution to the GOP problem?
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"For thousands of conservatives, Jan. 6 served as the start of a conservative exodus of sorts. In the days that followed the insurrection, at least 140,000 Republicans in 25 states changed their party affiliations, and it's likely tens of thousands more did the same in other states without readily available data. Without some serious reason to do so, a shift of that degree is very unusual, political scientists say. While the shift is a relatively small percentage of the party as a whole, it illustrates a growing problem for the GOP." —Samuel Benson in ([link removed]) Deseret News ([link removed])

Samuel Benson is an opinion writer at
Deseret News.

MORE: Peggy Noonan: The Republican Party is at a low point, but the two-party system is too vital to abandon —The Wall Street Journal ([link removed])
The vast majority of Americans want easy access to voting, lots of soda, baseball, football, air travel, clean air and water, law, order, honest politicians, a fair shot at a decent life, real leadership/accountability, love, family, and not having to beg Mitch McConnell for it. —Luke Zaleski, legal affairs editor at Condé Nast (@ZaleskiLuke)

"[Our republic] needs honest, civic-minded, and competent citizens willing to step up and dedicate a few years to public service and then step down." It's funny, Dave M. This is exactly what they were teaching in school in the 1960s. It was the civic duty of all citizens. Somewhere along the line, it became a career path for the wealthy. —Tom A., Oregon

The other day, I was having an online discussion about the popular claim that the United States is a republic, not a democracy. I tried pointing out that we are a democratic republic, and if we take away democracy, what makes us different from countries like the People's Republic of China? No one answered that question, and I'm not as knowledgeable as many of the usual commenters, so I'm still wondering. I was then told that we are a constitutional republic, and democracy is mob rule and the precursor to communism. My answer was basically, "WHAT!?!?"

The problem I'm having is that I can't keep up with all of the fancy arguments these people are circulating. They aren't trying to communicate. They seem to be saying things that people like me can't respond to and then taking our confusion as proof that they won the argument. I'm grateful for The Topline for helping me sort things out, but I'm in agreement that social media should be more regulated somehow. —Amanda, Idaho
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** The views expressed in "What's Your Take?" are submitted by readers and do not necessarily reflect the views of the editorial staff or the Stand Up Republic Foundation.
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