Vladimir Putin’s nosedive
One thing many have struggled to understand is why Republicans have been so devoted to Donald Trump. It’s an existential question that many have been writing about lately, particularly as Putin’s brutal attack of Ukraine forces Republicans to publicly take a stance on Russia.
One theory was that Trump “winning” the 2016 election was so shocking and suspicious, Republicans could never admit it was the result of outside influence from hostile foreign enemy Russia. Republicans had to fully commit to the outcome as legitimate, no matter what. The problem with this explanation is, in July 2016, the Republican party changed their platform in favor of Russia over Ukraine, meaning Republicans have been supporting Putin’s invasion of Ukraine since Trump won the 2016 primary.
But this cult-like commitment to their dictator could also be the downfall of the Grand Old Party. Global-politics expert Brian Klaas explains Putin’s own downfall looms after taking such a dangerous risk invading Ukraine, stating, “Autocrats such as Putin eventually succumb to what may be called the ‘dictator trap.’ They hear only from sycophants and get bad advice. They misunderstand their population.” Klaas compared the Republican adoration of dictator Trump to Putin’s dictator trap. “Just consider how many Republicans have fallen over one another to endorse Donald Trump’s lies about the 2020 election in order to prove their MAGA bona fides.”
Call it wishful thinking, but my theory, with zero basis in fact, is that Putin has seen evidence (possibly some explosive pre-filing indictments from Trump himself) that Republicans are on track to lose the 2022 midterms bigly. If Democrats hold the House and gain two or three more seats to fully control the Senate (let’s face it, Sinema and Manchin are too unpredictable), Putin’s control of Republicans would no longer matter, and he would have nothing left to lose. This invasion was Putin’s last chance to make a move on Ukraine. And he took it. All the more reason Democrats must vote in droves to win the Midterms.
Chicago native Lorraine Evanoff earned her degree in French from DePaul University then became a Certified Financial Manager. She worked as a finance exec in film production for seven years in Paris, then in Silicon Valley during the dot-com era, and later for various Hollywood production companies, notably as CFO of National Lampoon. She is currently living in Los Angeles with her husband.