The new norm: "Votes don't work."

Mitt Romney concession speech, 2012:

"I have just called President Obama to congratulate him on his victory. . . . I believe in America. I believe in the people of America."

After the 2020 election I saw photographs of these words, painted on the parking lot outside the Jackson County, Oregon election department: "VOTE DON'T WORK.  NEXT TIME BULLETS."

I thought the words were the work of a one-off outlier, just a crazy vandal with a paint can. It was more than that. It reflected a new norm that has infected the GOP.

There used to be a norm in politics, sometimes honored in the breach or reluctantly, but a code of proper behavior, like standing for the Pledge of Allegiance. It is what one did. After elections say publicly, "The people have spoken." Win or lose, "The people have spoken" acknowledges the sovereignty of the voters.

The shameless gerrymandering after the 2010 census and widespread GOP victory in state legislatures was an early warning. It was so intentional and undisguised that it sent a message that if a party can do it, it should do it. Play to win. Trump's complaint about the election after the Cruz victory in Iowa, then his complaint even after his own victory in 2016, was another warning. Then we saw the full flower of election subversion and denialism prior, during, and after the 2020 election. 

Trump was the catalyst and accelerator for a new norm in American politics.  Accepting a disappointing vote is a sign of weakness, something RINOs do. Trump scolded Kevin McCarthy for urging him to call off the January 6 riot, with "Well, Kevin, I guess these people are more upset about the election than you are." 

Real Republicans find a workaround to a loss. In a hard-fought election, Wisconsin voters gave a solid victory to a state Supreme Court Justice supported by Democrats. Wisconsin's GOP-majority legislature openly talked about impeaching her immediately, before she was seated, and than not scheduling a state senate trial. Under state law the Justice would be in permanent limbo awaiting trial. It was a frank subversion of the vote, but it would be legal, even if done on the pretext that she had committed impeachable offenses. Republicans didn't consider it shameful. It was smart.

Ohio voters just voted to amend the Ohio constitution to re-establish Roe v. Wade protection for abortion access. The Republican majority in the Ohio legislature announced plans to change state law to forbid state courts from implementing the new rule. They passed a resolution of GOP solidarity, saying in a press release: 

To prevent mischief by pro-abortion courts with Issue 1, Ohio legislators will consider removing jurisdiction from the judiciary over this ambiguous ballot initiative. The Ohio legislature alone will consider what, if any, modifications to make to existing laws based on public hearings and input from legal experts on both sides.

Former U.S. Senator Rick Santorum weighed in on the Ohio case, saying states erred in having issues like abortion and marijuana up for a vote. Democracy doesn't work, he said.

“You put very sexy things like abortion and marijuana on the ballot, and a lot of young people come out and vote."

The Ohio vote came just months after an earlier, openly acknowledged, effort by the Ohio GOP to increase the votes needed to enact constitutional amendments to 60%. Polls had shown that a majority would likely vote "Yes," but by under 60%. The GOP did not try to hide their intent. They were playing hardball politics -- against whom? A majority of the state's voters. 

There is a new norm. It respects winning, even if done using pretext. It insults the voters. It is a losing strategy, but only if voters demand respect. I am not positive that voters do. We have taught ourselves to demand winning.

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