In September the University of Toronto Press will publish my next book. It’s titled Why We Follow Leaders – and Why We Don’t. These are the four questions to which the book provides answers. First, what are the rewards for following? Second, what are the punishments for not following? Third, what are the rewards for not following? Fourth, what are the punishments for following?
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This post is to the point. It’s about what happened in this week’s Indiana Republican primary.
In the last year the propensity of Congressional Republicans to religiously follow wherever Donald Trump led became even curiouser and curiouser. The president’s approval ratings sank. His war with Iran proved highly unpopular. Prices rose, most visibly at the pump. Trump (and his family) pocketed billions while many millions of Americans financially struggled. And his proclivity to glitzy self-aggrandizement reached new highs.
Notwithstanding what was happening what became clear in Indiana is that Trump continues to control the Republican party. He continues to dominate both Republicans who are in office and Republicans who aspire to do the same. Trump’s penchant for revenge was why he backed primary challengers against all seven of the incumbent Republican state senators who had rejected Trump’s redistricting plan. The result? At least five of Trump’s toadies won.
The details of their wins – including an avalanche of cash – do not concern us here. What does concern us is how it happens that a leader so clearly flawed can control followers hellbent on not crossing him because they are hellbent on not being punished. In fact, they are hellbent on being rewarded, on securing Trump’s blessing. It all goes back to the voters, of course, to Trump’s MAGA base. This base is smaller than it used to be. But notwithstanding withering criticisms of the president by some MAGA elites, even now his base remains a potent political force that Americans have no choice but to reckon with.
Republicans who hold political office are like Democrats who hold political office. They reap a range of rewards that include but are not limited to power, status and money. So, even in an environment as politically fraught as this one, holding political office remains an attractive or even very attractive professional option. Which is why Republic incumbents and aspirants continue to shill for a leader who, however problematic, still holds the cards. Donald Trump makes it plain that he will reward those who follow him and punish those who do not – which, whatever has gone down, he still has the power to do.