Mitt Romney penned a 4th of July piece where he argued that Americans are in denial, but it is Republicans who refuse to see the truth.
Sen. Romney wrote in The Atlantic:
And when a renowned conservative former federal appellate judge testifies that we are already in a war for our democracy and that January 6, 2021, was a genuine constitutional crisis, MAGA loyalists snicker that he speaks slowly and celebrate that most people weren’t watching.
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What accounts for the blithe dismissal of potentially cataclysmic threats? The left thinks the right is at fault for ignoring climate change and the attacks on our political system. The right thinks the left is the problem for ignoring illegal immigration and the national debt. But wishful thinking happens across the political spectrum. More and more, we are a nation in denial.
Mitt Romney Blames Both Sides
Romney’s intentions were good. He suggests that America needs to wake up, but Sen. Romney’s diagnosis is way off.
Mitt Romney argues that both sides are to blame for the current denialism in America. It is the sort of point that is catnip to both sides do it corporate media. It is also total BS.
The Denialism In America Is Coming From Republicans And The Right
The Republican Party has become the party of denial. They deny that Trump lost the 2020 election. The GOP denies climate change. Republicans deny that guns are the problem in mass shootings. The right denies that women should not be forced to carry children and denied choice.
Under Trump, the Republicans have gone from being an anti-progress party to an anti-reality party. It is impossible for both sides to work together and the political system to function as intended when Republicans deny reality.
The issue goes much deeper than Trump. Fox News and conservative media pump misinformation and zero-sum partisan politics into their consumers to create voters who punish Republicans for working with Democrats.
Romney himself is not immune from this pressure. The Republican from Utah voted to convict Donald Trump but also for all of Trump’s Supreme Court nominees.
The problem isn’t American denial. It’s Republican denial, and Mitt Romney is also part of the problem.
Mr. Easley is the managing editor. He is also a White House Press Pool and a Congressional correspondent for PoliticusUSA. Jason has a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science. His graduate work focused on public policy, with a specialization in social reform movements.
Awards and Professional Memberships
Member of the Society of Professional Journalists and The American Political Science Association