Tuesday open thread: GOP retirement front

Posted on the DCCC Twitter account

News broke Sunday night that upwards of twenty House Republicans will be announcing their retirements over the coming weeks.

Democrats are also retiring, but most are in their 70s and 80s, while some are seeking other offices. But it does seem that the GOP exodus is one of people finally being fed up and not wanting to spend any more time in a political world which descends daily deeper into the gutter.

Certainly, one would think that if GOP prospects in 2026 looked rosy, they'd tough it out so as to return to office with a bigger majority. The fact that so many are rushing for the exits speaks volumes.

I don't know why any Republican runs for Congress. They're not there representing their districts. In that Age of Trump, that's not their role. Their role is to dutifully vote for Donald Trump's agenda, without complaint, without demur. We saw this during the shutdown, where they refused to extend health subsidies to reopen the government. They're not there to vote in the best interests of those they represent, but, as any good authoritarian party, to rubberstamp the directives of the political leadership.

If Democrats were in such lockstep, it's doubtful that the GOP would ever win again. And of course I'm not arguing for a Democratic Party along the lines of the Republican. However, our divisions serve only to aid our opponents. 

It will be interesting to see how many House Republicans end up retiring. As they say in the UK after a betting app advert, "When the fun stops, stop." Trump 2.0 has soured much more quickly than the first version. Retiring Republicans don't want to be around to clean up the damage they've done.

This is your open thread.