The other day a conservative Democrat passionately criticized me because of my snarky treatment of Republicans. Instead, he said, I would be more effective if I tried to find “common ground” with them.
I thought about it—for about a second—and rejected the idea. Montana’s special election is a good example of why I reject such approaches. Republican Congressman-elect Greg Gianforte body slammed, choked, and punched a reporter from the Guardian newspaper, simply because he didn’t like the question he was asked. Here in Montana, Gianforte’s actions actually increased his votes in some areas, and in today’s Missoulian newspaper there are two letters to the editor from Republicans defending Gianforte’s assault.
So to that conservative Democrat: I am sorry. I cannot find common ground with people who violently assault others and those who support such violent assaults. And this is not an isolated incident. This violence comes all the way from the top, as the Big Cheeto of the Republican Party, Donald Trump, has not only encouraged violence himself, but he also wholeheartedly congratulated Gianforte on his win and called reports of his assault “fake news.”
With that in mind, I have a message for all the repugnant Republicans, who think such behavior is okay: Go Dick Cheney yourself!