I sure hope I can stop writing about Madison Cawthorn after May 17. If I have to talk about him winning the primary, it says more about the Republican Party than it does about Cawthorn. Actually, all of it, his whole political saga, says a lot about the GOP.
Cawthorn has been under withering attacks for everything from his outright lying to his sex life with lots of evidence to back it up. The latest hit is a video that shows Cawthorn naked in bed humping his male cousin. It was the finale to a build up that began with a video of the same cousin grabbing Cawthorn’s crotch while Cawthorn was driving down the road.
Cawthorn claims it was just boys horsing around. Problem is, he’s not a boy. He’s a 26 year-old man who is also a Member of Congress. The tapes are only harmful because he’s been so tough on the LGBT+ community and because he’s Republican. Being gay, or bisexual or whatever, is not much of a liability in the Democratic Party, but it can be a killer in the GOP.
Cawthorn has built a career on being outrageous and a victim. He started as a longshot candidate for Congress who beat the GOP favorite in runoff. He’s been dishonest about almost everything, from the accident that left him unable to walk to his rejection by the Naval Academy to promoting unfounded and outrageous accusations of child sex rings that echo Qanon nonsense. And still, he’s been leading the pack in the Republican primary because honesty and forthrightness are not necessities in today’s GOP.
Lying, promoting unfounded conspiracy theories, making false accusations, those are just standard GOP fare. They don’t get condemned by elected Republicans. Hell, Donald Trump is the leader of the party. But being gay? Katy bar the door.
On Twitter, News & Observer columnist Sara Paqueno theorized that Cawthorn’s in trouble now because “he insulted the GOP.” She notes that the attacks ramped up after he claimed to see other Members of Congress doing cocaine and said they invited him to orgies. She sure seems right.
Most of the trash Cawthorn is spouting is not much different from what Marjorie Taylor Greene, Matt Gaetz, Paul Gosar or Lauren Boebert are spouting. We’re not seeing the stories coming out about them in the same manner they’re coming out about Cawthorn, even though they are there. Greene cheated on her husband with some fellow gym instructors, but they were heterosexual. Lauren Boebert’s husband exposed himself to two girls, including a minor. Again, Trump paid off a porn star to keep quiet about a one night stand. Those stories get little more than a shrug from Republicans.
Despite all of this stuff, the thing that might bring Cawthorn down is his affair, or whatever it was, with a man. That tells us a whole lot about GOP family values.
Thomas Mills is the founder and publisher of PoliticsNC.com. Before beginning PoliticsNC, Thomas spent twenty years as a political and public affairs consultant. Learn more >
I am a GOP voter, I don’t care if he is gay. I care more about his position on gun rights and legal marijuana. As a freedom loving republican I have no qualms about any behavior as long as its not illegal. Also GOP is in danger of losing my vote due to position on marijuana. I have seen the results of what happens to people with cancer first hand it is absolutely ridiculous to say it has no medical value. Willful ignorance of GOP is harming so many lives. NCGOP are addicted to prison and stabbing each other in the back.
Good points. But I might add, Cawthorn represents what can be described as a cult of personality in the modern GOP. Extreme fundamental Christianity, confused understanding of gun rights and toxic masculinity. He ignored the laws designed to protect passengers and flight crews aboard commercial airlines more than once. Bringing loaded weapons aboard provides would be hijackers with another tool to conduct their deadly objectives. Moreover, Cawthorn lacks the training and physical ability to control that weapon to prevent it from falling into the hands of potential criminals. Ignoring the reasons for such laws is a form of disrespect for the safety of others. He is unfit to represent this state in congress.
Will Madison be forgiven for his shenanigans? There is a probability he could, if his loyal followers believe he really did not engage in this conduct. This is another attempt by Democrats to destroy their party with misinformation. There are GOP voters who believe in lizard people from outer space setting forest fires, so there is a good possibility they may blindly back Madison. Trump denied paying off a couple of porn stars, even after copies of his checks were circulated or seeking a deal with Putin to build a Moscow Trump Center after memos of his dealings became public. . Speaker of the house, “want a be,” Kevin McCarthy denied his disloyalty to Trump after a tape of his statements was played on public media. There is little doubt, based on the history of the GOP, forgiveness of these clowns has become a common occurrence, surpassed only by the German peoples support for Hitler prior to WWII.
Cawthorn is further evidence that the GOP equates Political Theater with Reality TV. Elections matter, politics effects real lives. It is not for your personal entertainment.
“Being gay, or bisexual or whatever, is not much of a liability in the Democratic Party, but it can be a killer in the GOP.”
That’s horrible. I can’t imagine the Democratic Party ever being so iniquitous ;-).
A lot of Republican voters out here in 11 seem to be rather clueless about their voting options, despite the big money being spent by Tillis-funded Results for NC to smear Cawthorn. What people do remember is his first campaign picture from 2020 with the enormous hunting rifle. THAT matters.
Cawthorn has exhibited a combination of toxic masculinity, Christian fundamentalism, firearms fetish, admiration for Hitler and Putin, contempt for women and for Ukrainians, outrageous dishonesty about his personal story, and little interest in policy or governing. Like Alabama Senate candidate Roy Moore, he should flame out, defeated either in the primary or by a Democrat in the fall.
It is worth noting that if Cawthorn wins the primary, he would still likely have been opposed by 60-65% of GOP voters
Dallas,
My guess- and it’s not that much of a stretch given his incumbency- is that Cawthorn will win the GOP primary and will be re-elected.
And what will y’all do with him then? Better yet- what will he do?
I can’t remember the last time I saw or heard the term crass being used.