Here is something that makes me kind of depressed:
House Democrats on Friday introduced a resolution to censure Arizona Republican Rep. Paul Gosar — a penalty that would amount to the chamber publicly shaming Gosar — for posting an animated video of him killing Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., and attacking President Joe Biden with swords.
If the resolution is adopted in the House by the required simple majority, Gosar would be forced to stand in the well of the chamber while Speaker Nancy Pelosi reads the resolution. That is the totality of discipline that would accompany this censure effort.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m a public shaming enthusiast. But I get more excited about harsher penalties, like expulsion, exile/ostracism, and prison time. The penalty here should be expulsion, which requires a two-thirds majority of the House. Now, I know what you’re thinking. You’re thinking that the Republicans won’t supply the votes and an effort to expel Gosar will fail.
But that’s basically the advantage of seeking expulsion. If the Democrats merely censure Gosar, they’ll succeed and Pelosi will get to dress him down in front of everybody. But if the Republicans take Gosar’s side in an expulsion fight, then the whole party will be exposed and shamed.
That’s preferable.
I agree and disagree. I can see the headlines now. “Democrats failed!” All the usual suspects will write both sides narratives with the partisan vote to expel him set forth as exhibit A for the nastiness of one side.
My feeling is democrats are ridiculously bad storytellers who are working in a media environment that favors corporate interests and the status quo. Republicans have their own media universe. They face systematic disadvantages that could be overcome to a significant extent if they learned to speak with one clear and coherent voice in words that could easily fit on a bumper sticker. The narrative ought to be “Republicans are traitors”. Yes, that provocative. Because it’s true. And then use Gosar as one of countless examples of why. Then vote to both censor and expel him. Let Pelosi dress him down in public and comment on his responses. When Republicans vote to protect him, cite it again and again as evidence of their treason. Do this on issue after issue. From Trump’s impeachment to their efforts to cover over January 6 to their actions to make voting difficult to their stealing of Supreme Court seats to their use of the filibuster. On and on and on.
They need to learn to push back forcefully against the MSM “both sides” narrative. To be a clear voice that says, “You’re right that we’re not perfect but we are overwhelmingly a party that seeks to make things better and that’s loyal to our country. Republicans are traitors.”