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Mike Johnson and Democracy.
A 🧵
A few years ago, now-Speaker Mike Johnson said we do not live in a democracy. It’s a common right-wing refrain.
But the truth is, in HIS political career, he has not participated in a democracy
He is actually the perfect example of how..
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A 🧵
A few years ago, now-Speaker Mike Johnson said we do not live in a democracy. It’s a common right-wing refrain.
But the truth is, in HIS political career, he has not participated in a democracy
He is actually the perfect example of how..
1/
…in today’s gerrymandered world, people can ride to the highest levels of power without being in a real election their entire careers.
Which means they can be complete extremists and never face accountability for it.
Johnson’s career is the perfect example of this. 👇
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Which means they can be complete extremists and never face accountability for it.
Johnson’s career is the perfect example of this. 👇
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Before entering office, he spent his years fighting right-wing causes as a lawyer. Which is his right to do.
But then his political career began.
In early 2015, when the state rep where he lived ran for another another office, Johnson ran for the vacancy.
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But then his political career began.
In early 2015, when the state rep where he lived ran for another another office, Johnson ran for the vacancy.
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Incredibly, that first run for office was unopposed. There wasn’t even an election
He assumed power without ever having faced the voters in a general election
No wonder he thinks we’re not a democracy!
Once in office, he got to work on his extremist agenda, pushing a law…
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He assumed power without ever having faced the voters in a general election
No wonder he thinks we’re not a democracy!
Once in office, he got to work on his extremist agenda, pushing a law…
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…that even Republicans rejected, and was tabled 10-2 in committee.
What did the voters think about the fact that in only months, he had already proven to be too extreme for even his own party?
We don’t know, because Johnson ran again that Fall for election…
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What did the voters think about the fact that in only months, he had already proven to be too extreme for even his own party?
We don’t know, because Johnson ran again that Fall for election…
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to the next 2-year term, and again, ran unopposed
No primary.
No general.
How easy? Pay the filing fee, get some signatures. And he gets to come right back to the legislature with no accountability to the people whatsoever.
No wonder he doesn’t think we’re a democracy!
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No primary.
No general.
How easy? Pay the filing fee, get some signatures. And he gets to come right back to the legislature with no accountability to the people whatsoever.
No wonder he doesn’t think we’re a democracy!
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On the strength of his unopposed election victories—on that unmistakable mandate from a people who had no choice in the matter—Johnson decides it’s time to run for Congress.
And then he encounters the marvels of lopsided districts.
He wins in 2016, 2018 and 2020…
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And then he encounters the marvels of lopsided districts.
He wins in 2016, 2018 and 2020…
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…with the winning margins we have come to expect in a gerrymandered world.
30% (2016)
30% (2018)
35% (2020)
And then in 2022, back to his roots, he runs unopposed.
No wonder he thinks we’re not a democracy!
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30% (2016)
30% (2018)
35% (2020)
And then in 2022, back to his roots, he runs unopposed.
No wonder he thinks we’re not a democracy!
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Bottom line: the now-Speaker of the House is the perfect example of the modern extremist
He’s spent his entire career in a world devoid of democracy, and of no accountability
It’s how he entered—his initial entree unopposed (that’s pretty rare, actually. Not even a primary)
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He’s spent his entire career in a world devoid of democracy, and of no accountability
It’s how he entered—his initial entree unopposed (that’s pretty rare, actually. Not even a primary)
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It’s how he rose.
It’s his most recent race.
It’s all he’s ever known!
And it’s how all the unabashed and toxic extremism he’s espoused along the way has essentially gone unchecked the entire time.
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It’s his most recent race.
It’s all he’s ever known!
And it’s how all the unabashed and toxic extremism he’s espoused along the way has essentially gone unchecked the entire time.
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Of course these guys are going to be extremists when they thrive in a world where they CAN be extremists, & never face any real opposition (often no opposition at all) despite extremism that only a few years ago was soundly rejected by his own party
Mike Johnson IS the..
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Mike Johnson IS the..
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current generation of GOP leaders.
No accountability—ever! Which means all the incentives they face encourage them to keep being extreme.
And none of this will end until we do two things.
One…end gerrymandering. It’s poisoning everything by removing almost all…
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No accountability—ever! Which means all the incentives they face encourage them to keep being extreme.
And none of this will end until we do two things.
One…end gerrymandering. It’s poisoning everything by removing almost all…
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…accountability from politics.
It’s fueling the insane and extremist behavior of the House and so many of the American statehouses that are careening out of control.
Two…run everywhere!!
Johnson is not a rare case. We have a crisis of unopposed extremists..
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It’s fueling the insane and extremist behavior of the House and so many of the American statehouses that are careening out of control.
Two…run everywhere!!
Johnson is not a rare case. We have a crisis of unopposed extremists..
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like him everywhere.
Democrats focus so much on a few swing states we have decided it’s OK to let the Mike Johnsons of the world, or the Tennessee Republicans of the world, or the book banners, or the abortion banners (no exceptions) , and so on, do all they’re doing…
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Democrats focus so much on a few swing states we have decided it’s OK to let the Mike Johnsons of the world, or the Tennessee Republicans of the world, or the book banners, or the abortion banners (no exceptions) , and so on, do all they’re doing…
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…in statehouses, and not even face opposition in elections that follow their extremist actions.
Just look at these charts:
80% unopposed in Louisiana!
48% in Tennessee!
43% in Arkansas!
42% in Texas!
On and on. Unopposed!
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Just look at these charts:
80% unopposed in Louisiana!
48% in Tennessee!
43% in Arkansas!
42% in Texas!
On and on. Unopposed!
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They’re running their extremist agenda through these statehouses, through these districts, and we just let it happen.
Countless, unopposed.
Doing untold damage to lives, communities, and democracy itself.
And rising to offices as high as Speaker of the House. And we
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Countless, unopposed.
Doing untold damage to lives, communities, and democracy itself.
And rising to offices as high as Speaker of the House. And we
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…largely stand to the side and let it all happen without an iota of accountability or opposition.
Not even a door knock saying: “did you know that friendly, bespectacled state rep of yours is actually a total extremist?”
Mike Johnson is the epitome of that current…
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Not even a door knock saying: “did you know that friendly, bespectacled state rep of yours is actually a total extremist?”
Mike Johnson is the epitome of that current…
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…generation of right-wing extremists
And his career path a perfect example of HOW they are rising all over—rewarded for extremism—through a system of rigged districts and a collective decision that running against these people at those levels doesn’t matter.
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And his career path a perfect example of HOW they are rising all over—rewarded for extremism—through a system of rigged districts and a collective decision that running against these people at those levels doesn’t matter.
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Look around at what’s happening to this country and tell me it doesn’t matter!
We have to start running everywhere, folks. Bringing accountability everywhere. Until we do, all this will keep happening.
Mike Johnsons and Jim Jordans and MTGs will keep emerging everywhere,
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We have to start running everywhere, folks. Bringing accountability everywhere. Until we do, all this will keep happening.
Mike Johnsons and Jim Jordans and MTGs will keep emerging everywhere,
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Along with hundreds of others like them in statehouses we will never hear of, we will not run against, but who will be doing great damage every step of the way, while rising through the ranks.
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By the way, there IS a way to run everywhere
It starts with showing people we value people running everywhere.
How do we do that? We crowd-fund support to candidates running against the Mike Johnsons of the world, in tough districts
In Ohio, we started this.
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It starts with showing people we value people running everywhere.
How do we do that? We crowd-fund support to candidates running against the Mike Johnsons of the world, in tough districts
In Ohio, we started this.
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We call it Blue Ohio. It’s starting to work.
To learn more, check it out here:
Sign up.
If we don’t start running everywhere, our future will be Mike Johnsons doing damage in states across the country, and Mike Johnsons rising to the..
22/blueohio.org
To learn more, check it out here:
Sign up.
If we don’t start running everywhere, our future will be Mike Johnsons doing damage in states across the country, and Mike Johnsons rising to the..
22/blueohio.org
…highest offices in the land, without ever experiencing democracy any step along the way.
And that continues to be dangerous as hell to our country.
END rant.
Follow me here to learn more about how you can help stop it: davidpepper.substack.com
And that continues to be dangerous as hell to our country.
END rant.
Follow me here to learn more about how you can help stop it: davidpepper.substack.com
Here’s this thread in Substack form. Feel free to share: open.substack.com/pub/davidpeppe…
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