The Face of Spinelessness: Mike DeWine of Ohio

The governor of Ohio is the face of spinelessness in America.

Mike DeWine, spineless. 

That should be his epitaph.

Trump and Vance have used a racist lie about one of Ohio’s towns in repeated vulgar attempts to score political points on the immigration issue, and DeWine still supports the Trump-Vance ticket.

DeWine said he was “saddened” by “how they and others continue to repeat claims that lack evidence and disparage the legal migrants living in Springfield.” He said the Trump-Vance “rhetoric hurts the city and its people, and it hurts those who have spent their lives there.” He said Trump-Vance had made Springfield “the epicenter of vitriol over America’s immigration policy.”

But will DeWine reject Trump-Vance?

No. He’s a Republican, he says, and he must support the ticket.

Did you see that?

He’s a Republican first, American second. That’s the Trump Era captured in amber right there: Spineless Republicans unwilling to put partisanship aside even if it means supporting for president a racist, reckless, unrepentant felon who causes harm to your constituents.

Of course, the GOP is full of guys like this, captured beautifully in this essay from the Atlantic by Mark Leibovich.

Will there be a reckoning for spineless public “leaders” who cast their duties to constituents and the Constitution aside for the sake of Donald Trump’s smarmy handshake? They probably worry not about that. Despite misgivings, people like DeWine have decided they can live with Trump. It’s living with themselves that will be the real challenge.