Thread by @Nick_Carmody

For a brief period, Republicans seemed resigned to the fact that since Trump/Trumpism ran contrary to the 2012 election autopsy...the inevitability of "demographics is destiny" would cement their fate as a permanent minority party in the not too distant future. 1/ @RadioFreeTom

In 2017 Republicans passed Trump's tax cut. Some people warned cutting taxes in a good economy would overheat the economy and cause inflation. But similar to the deficit, the GOP often is only concerned with inflation when Democrats hold power. 2/
freep.com/story/money/pe…

Despite holding both houses of Congress and the oval office, the GOP struggled to pass major legislation ("infrastructure week" first appeared in June 2017). 3/ nytimes.com/2020/04/01/us/…

By December/2017, Trump's approval rating hit a historic low of 35%.

This was still 18 months before Trump would extort Ukraine to interfere w/democratic elections.

And it was almost 3 years before Trump began poisoning the country w/the "Big Lie". 4/
politico.com/story/2017/12/…

Back then, people.....including the GOP.....still had faith in and believed in, democracy...and still somewhat respected democratic elections, and the democratic process.

That has obviously changed now...5/

https://twitter.com/Nick_Carmody/status/1194586885219205121

An argument can be made that the Republicans' 2017 tax cut was a desperate political "smash-n-grab" that actually reflected that faith/respect for democracy: 6/

https://twitter.com/Nick_Carmody/status/968300420975157248

Now, the Republican strategy seems to have evolved from a "smash-n-grab".....

...into a "smash-n-squat" philosophy, where they break everything and refuse to leave....7/

https://twitter.com/Nick_Carmody/status/1194586885219205121

Circling back to why the Democrats aren't acting with a democracy-saving sense of urgency...it's difficult not to come to the conclusion that they (some) are resigned to the inevitability of Republican "rule"...and are just getting everything they can on their way out the door...