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Analysis | The core weakness of the Republican Party, on raucous display

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Analysis | The core weakness of the Republican Party, on raucous display


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Why is Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) in Congress?

The 2020 marketing campaign that first introduced her to Washington wasn’t centered on the coverage proposals Greene wished to enact as a legislator. Her marketing campaign was as a substitute centered totally on fringe rhetoric and chastisements of the D.C. institution, together with members of her personal occasion. This was amplified after Republican leaders like Home Minority Chief Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) criticized previous feedback of Greene’s that have been racist or endorsed the QAnon conspiracy principle.

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However that didn’t matter. Greene simply received the first after which election in a district that backed Donald Trump by a 3 to 1 margin. So now she’s in Congress — and was a key ally of McCarthy in his wrestle to be elected Home speaker. Her willingness to throw bombs at her perceived opponents has made her a pressure in Republican politics, one which McCarthy clearly thinks is helpful to maintain shut.

In different phrases, Greene is in Congress as a result of her type of agitating the Republican base was helpful in successful a major in a deep-red district, successful election in a wildly pro-Trump one and in having access to the core of Republican institutional energy. And this, actually, is the Republican Celebration’s central weak spot, as made apparent in final 12 months’s midterm elections: It is extremely, superb at energizing its base and never superb at interesting to everybody else.

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On Tuesday evening, President Biden delivered his State of the Union tackle. This annual occasion is Congress’s promenade, a chance to dress up and be fancy with a number of expectations that individuals shall be on their finest conduct. Earlier than this 12 months’s iteration, McCarthy cautioned his caucus to behave, reportedly reminding them that the nation could be watching.

To proceed the promenade analogy, this can be a bit just like the principal telling the jocks that the native information could be filming the dance and to not act up. Guess what the jocks are going to do?

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So Biden’s speech was interrupted repeatedly by jeers and catcalls from the Republican facet of the aisle, with Greene usually among the many most vocal. Biden dealt with the interruptions adroitly. McCarthy may very well be seen providing varied scolding facial contortions — pursed-lip shushes, eyebrow-raised cautions — to no obvious impact. The crew trying to be clamorous provided clamor.

There are most likely two causes they selected to take action.

One is express: They hoped to attract consideration to themselves. When Rep. Joe Wilson (R-S.C.) loudly accused Barack Obama of mendacity throughout a 2009 speech to Congress, he grew to become a spotlight of media consideration for days on finish. On the time, after all, this deviation from decorum was astonishing and sudden; the raucous, confrontational path to election that Donald Trump flattened down in 2016 had not but been totally cleared. Within the context of the trendy Republican method to politics, Wilson’s interruption appears virtually dignified.

So the percentages have been good on Tuesday evening that should you pulled off one thing loopy sufficient, you is perhaps the jock who will get interviewed by the reporter from Channel 6. However what occurs when all of the jocks compete to be the wildest? All that will get on air is a bunch of jocks ruining promenade. A number of folks accused Biden of mendacity final evening, it appears; the media has barely bothered to determine who did, in addition to Greene.

The opposite motivation for interrupting Biden is implicit: Many Republican elected officers are merely used to treating their opponents with overt disdain. Greene has endorsed QAnon theories and mused about executions of distinguished Democrats. Given the uncommon alternative to be face-to-face with Biden, we must always count on her to demurely observe his speech?

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We shouldn’t be stunned that McCarthy’s warning to his caucus about behaving went unheeded. We shouldn’t be stunned that his efforts to quell the uproar within the second have been ignored. We shouldn’t be stunned that on Wednesday morning he excused the interruptions as proof of his caucus being “passionate.” In any case, the story of McCarthy’s tenure as chief of his occasion has largely been about his failure to erect fences across the occasion’s fringe, from Trump on down.

There may be merely a big component of his occasion that’s targeted on combating the left, on preventing Democrats or different elites in Fox Information hits or punchy tweets. They accomplish that for a similar causes a few of them interrupted Biden’s speech: They need consideration or they’re merely behaving in the way in which they’ve turn into accustomed to behaving. There’s a Pavlovian component right here. Greene and others have been profitable at getting Republican votes by ginning up Republican anger. In districts the place Republicans win simply, that works simply positive. Within the jostle to get consideration and help from Republicans nationally, extremism on this regard is a boon. However in successful contested races? Much less so.

The 2022 midterms confirmed the problem right here. Biden was fairly unpopular, however Democrats fared decently. Partially, this was a operate of Republican candidates operating in swing states who alienated reasonable voters: Doug Mastriano in Pennsylvania, Kari Lake in Arizona, Herschel Walker in Georgia. These have been candidates who received occasion primaries whereas providing fringy, Trumpian rhetoric and who misplaced within the basic as a result of, even in a 12 months that ought to have been good for Republicans, they have been seen as too poisonous.

The State of the Union tackle is barely within the rearview mirror, so it’s most likely untimely to attract sweeping conclusions about its results. Most People didn’t watch and can depend on subsequent reporting to study it. However those that watched noticed a sample that mirrored the midterms: a president who they most likely don’t love being confronted by an unusually disrespectful cadre of Republicans.

McCarthy’s downside is his occasion’s downside: Its base feeds on and expects aggressive anti-Democratic rhetoric, and the conservative media and lots of elected officers jostle to supply it. They — the media and the politicians — are largely insulated towards any adverse results. Greene isn’t going to lose a Republican major if she offers Republican voters what they need, and no Republican will lose a basic election in that district.

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Maybe your assumption is that some Republicans may also discover the outbursts distasteful. Maybe. However this is the reason you may have responses just like the one co-host Brian Kilmeade provided on “Fox & Buddies” Wednesday morning: Biden goaded them into that outcry. It’s the Democratic president’s fault, in any case.

The system churns ahead.



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Washington

Crews fighting fire at scrap yard in Washington County

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Crews fighting fire at scrap yard in Washington County


WASHINGTON COUNTY, Ohio (WTAP) – First responders are on the scene of a fire at a scrap yard in Washington County.

Not much information is known at this time, but what we do know is the fire is at Guernsey Scrap Recycling.

According to the Reno Volunteer Fire Department Fire Chief Jon Bradford, departments from Reno, Williamstown, Devola, Salem, Little Muskingum, and Marietta are on the scene. All of those departments are shuttling water to the scene.

Scrap yard fire(none)

The fire is contained in one area of the facility. Reno VFD is using the MOV Drone Works drone to help fight the fire. The owner of the scrap yard is in a crane helping to move items to assist firefighters.

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It is not known what started the fire. And Chief Bradford says nobody was injured, and nobody is at risk.

WTAP has a reporter on the scene and will have more information as it becomes available.

See an error in our reporting? Send us an email by clicking here!



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Jayden Daniels Will Keep Commanders Competitive vs. Lions

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Jayden Daniels Will Keep Commanders Competitive vs. Lions


The Washington Commanders have made many changes to go from a four-win team to three wins away from winning the Super Bowl, but none have been more impactful than drafting quarterback Jayden Daniels with the No. 2 overall pick.

Daniels may be a rookie, but he plays like an established veteran. That’s why Bleacher Report writer Maurice Moton believes that the Commanders will be competitive this weekend against the 15-2 Detroit Lions in the Divisional Round.

“The Commanders slowed down the Buccaneers’ third-ranked offense in a road victory last week, and Daniels helped position them to kick the game-winning field,” Moton writes.

“Head coach Dan Quinn and coordinator Joe Whitt have molded the team’s defense into a respectable unit throughout the season. In clutch moments, Daniels is far beyond his years.

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“Washington won’t shut down the Lions offense, but along with Daniels, it can do enough to keep the score margin in the single digits.”

The Commanders are still underdogs since the Lions have arguably been the best team in the NFL this season, but Daniels won’t allow Washington to fold. He hasn’t done so yet, so there’s no reason why it would happen now.

Kickoff between the Commanders and Lions is scheduled for tomorrow at 8 p.m. ET.

Stick with CommanderGameday and the Locked On Commanders podcast for more FREE coverage of the Washington Commanders throughout the 2024 season.

• Commanders Preparing for Lions OC Ben Johnson Who Will ‘Test Your Discipline’

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• Dan Quinn Details Commanders Rookie’s Performance in Playoff Game, He Was Impressed

• What Lions’ Amon-Ra St. Brown Said About Commanders WR, It’s Come Full Circle

• Analyst Predicts Commanders Upset vs. Lions



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George Washington stays unbeaten with 68-41 victory at Capital – WV MetroNews

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George Washington stays unbeaten with 68-41 victory at Capital – WV MetroNews


CHARLESTON, W.Va. — A Capital team short on experience and playing for the first time since New Year’s Eve faced quite a challenge Thursday night as it welcomed one of the state’s most polished teams in nearby rival George Washington.

The Patriots showed no sign of letting a nearby rival hang around and continued their stellar start to the season by never trailing in a resounding 68-41 victory.

“Shooting takes pressure off how we have to defend, but our defense has been the key to everything we’ve done to this point,” veteran GW head coach Rick Greene said.

The result prolongs GW’s unbeaten start to the season through at least its first eight games.

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This one was never in doubt as the Patriots’ combination of efficient offense and lockdown defense left the Cougars playing catch-up throughout.

GW’s Chuck Kelley accounted for the game’s first two field goals and scored his team’s first six points, before Gale Lamb got in on the action and went on a personal 7-0 run that upped the Patriot lead to 14-4.

David Robinson, who led Capital with 17 points, scored five in the opening frame to keep his team within striking distance as it faced a 14-7 deficit entering the second.

After Capital’s Grant Barclay provided a bucket to start the second quarter, it was all GW the remainder of the opening half.

Lamb hit a pair of three-pointers around a Kelley transition layup, forcing the Cougars to call timeout 5:05 before halftime as they trailed 22-9.

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At that point, Lamb was 5 for 5 with 14 points.

“He didn’t take a shot he couldn’t hit,” Greene said. “He is a really good shooter and he’s shooting with a lot of confidence. The kids want him to shoot the ball, so if you’re a shooter and you know your teammates want you to shoot it, it gives you that little bit of freedom and relaxation.”

Out of the break in the action, GW’s Noah Lewis scored inside twice, with teammate Sai’Vyon Brown knocking down a three in between. It was 29-9 at that point, and Kelley accounted for the final points of the half on a follow-up basket to send the visitors to the locker room with a commanding 33-11 advantage.

While Lamb and Kelley were both 5 for 5 with 24 combined points through two quarters, the Cougars were shooting 5 for 16 and being out-rebounded, 15-5.

“The guys coming off the bench are trying to match the defensive intensity of the first five, and that’s making us really good,” Greene said.

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Kelley picked up where he left off to start the second half, scoring five points over the first 1:03.

Capital (2-4) upped the pace itself and Trevaun Tyson was the main beneficiary, scoring all nine of his points in the third quarter.

The Cougars doubled the first-half field goal total in the third period alone, making 10-of-15 shots to keep pace with the Patriots for that 8-minute stretch.

“It was a nice conversation at halftime,” Capital head coach Cookie Miller said. “We got them going a little bit and we have to come out like that at the beginning. It was a rough 18 days, but that’s not excuse. We had great practices for us to give that showing, but at the end of the day, hats off to them for knowing their plays and getting into things. They’ve been together for a long time.”

Unfortunately for Miller’s team, Lamb maintained his efficient play and scored nine points in the frame to spark GW’s 22-point quarter.

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That allowed the Patriots to lead 55-32 entering the fourth, and they cruised from there.

GW made 25-of-44 shots to shoot better than 56 percent. Lamb led all players with 24 points and made 7-of-8 shots. Kelley was also 7 for 8 and scored 15.

Noah Lewis chipped in with seven points and a game-high 10 rebounds, while Jeff Harris added five points and eight boards. That duo was instrumental in allowing GW to finish with a convincing 36-16 rebounding edge.

Tyson had half of his team’s boards. 

The Cougars made 18-of-45 shots, but only one three-pointer to the Patriots’ five.

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“Those guys have been together for a long time. Kudos to them,” Miller said. “Greene has them moving and doing what they’re supposed to doing. We’re trying to get on their level and soon we will be on their level.”



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