His View: Identity thieves have hijacked GOP

Absolute zero is the temperature at which molecular activity all but ceases, calculated to be around -459 degrees Fahrenheit. In Republican politics, absolute zero is the state in which critical thinking ceases. It is attained when objective truth and provable facts are cast aside, and the brain operates solely on the basis of whims and fantasies.

The midterm elections are only 12 days away, which means many politicians on the GOP ticket are approaching absolute zero. They will say anything, no matter how crazy, to protect the ego of a crass, corrosive and corrupt ex-president.

Yessir, tens of thousands of ballots from Republican districts were shredded in the 2020 elections. Oh yes, definitely. And shadowy actors in Italy used satellites to switch other votes. You betcha, they did. And don’t forget about Venezuela, because that barely functional South American nation played a pivotal role in placing a radical Democrat in the White House.

And on. And on. And on. There’s no evidence or proof for any of this, but who needs actual facts when you can sprinkle “alternative facts” like popcorn for pigeons.

The deeper you peer into the rabbit hole, the more laughable the claims become — but that doesn’t matter when the thermometer hits absolute zero. Make America Great Again candidates can win votes by claiming Nancy Pelosi fed baby Jesus into a woodchipper.

Elected officeholders are a reflection of the voters who put them there, so it’s a sad commentary on the Republican rank-and-file when a shameless liar defeats an opponent with, y’know, a functioning moral compass.

To call these charlatans Republicans is to do a grave disservice to the Grand Old Party. It’s identity theft, pure and simple, because they have highjacked the GOP and the term “conservative.” Being a conservative means conserving worthwhile things — e.g. the rule of law, the scientific method and America’s credibility to name a few.

The MAGA zombies taking over the Republican party are the inverse of conservatives. In truth, they are political nihilists, eager to smash established norms, but rarely willing to provide actual leadership. So they play to the cameras by saying outrageous things.

The message is simple: Get a load of me.

To their credit, Idaho’s Republican voters rejected most of the identity thieves who sought statewide office this year. Risible candidates for governor and lieutenant governor lost — bigly — to genuine Republicans; the glaring exception was Raul Labrador’s defeat of incumbent Lawrence Wasden in the GOP primary for attorney general.

That’s a shame because Wasden was a principled guy who strove mightily to keep the state out of legal jeopardy. That didn’t sit well with extremist members of the Idaho legislature who love political theater, no matter how expensive it is to clean up afterwards. So they huffed, and they puffed, and they transformed Wasden into a pantomime villain whom voters dumped in the primary.

Labrador has clearly indicated he will wield the AG’s office as a partisan weapon in the culture wars, throwing red meat to the base by locking horns with the bogeyman du jour. He’ll deliver on that promise because he’s guzzled a lot of crazy-flavored Kool-Aid over the years.

If Labrador defeats Tom Arkoosh, his widely-admired opponent in the general election, he will cost Idaho taxpayers a pile of money when the bills for his bad judgment come due.

The irony here is that profligate political grandstanding is something most MAGA voters cannot afford. They work hard and pay their taxes, but many are overwhelmed and don’t have enough bandwidth to monitor their elected leaders. Herein lies the brilliance of the modern Republican party: Year after year, it persuades voters to elect politicians who ignore their constituents’ needs.

What’s that you say? Medical bills are eating you alive? Well then, no health care reform for you. And child care is costing you a big slice of your income? No subsidized child care for you because that would be socialism. Consumer protection? Fend for yourself.

Everything OK now? Can I have your vote?

It’s time for Republican voters to turn up the heat on candidates who are comfortable at absolute zero. The problem is getting worse, and the hour is getting late.

Brock has been a Daily News columnist more than 20 years. He has lived on the Palouse even longer.