Post by trueblue on Aug 17, 2022 18:45:24 GMT
To buck your party and draw the wrath of the MAGA crowd isn’t easy. But it has its rewards.
Rep. Liz Cheney, R-Wyo., had already lost her leadership position in the House, been kicked out of her state’s Republican Party and forced to pay thousands of dollars for extra security in the face of growing death threats before suffering a wipeout in Wyoming’s Republican primary Tuesday night. But all that pales in comparison to the positive exposure she’s received — and the vistas it opens up.
Cheney’s quixotic campaign to retain her House seat in deep-red Wyoming now has made her something bigger: the face of a movement against former president Donald Trump and Trumpism that transcends political party. In her final campaign ad, she barely mentioned her home state. She couched her run to keep her seat as a battle against Trump and his big lie, calling his denial of the 2020 election results “a cancer that threatens our great republic.”
And she urged “Republicans, Democrats, independents” to join her in this “great task … No matter how long we must fight, this is a battle we will win.” Her popularity drew out-of-state donations in the millions. Many Democrats seem to be fans. Christina Harvey, head of the progressive group Stand Up America, told The Guardian that when her members were surveyed about politicians that they admired, Cheney’s name frequently came up.
And she urged “Republicans, Democrats, independents” to join her in this “great task … No matter how long we must fight, this is a battle we will win.” Her popularity drew out-of-state donations in the millions. Many Democrats seem to be fans. Christina Harvey, head of the progressive group Stand Up America, told The Guardian that when her members were surveyed about politicians that they admired, Cheney’s name frequently came up.
www.nbcnews.com/think/opinion/liz-cheney-primary-loss-trump-shouldnt-2024-presidential-run-rcna43504