Conservative laments that principles and policies no longer matter in today’s GOP

Rep. Ken Buck (R-Colorado), a hard-right conservative, received death threats and was evicted from his Colorado office after voting against making Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) House speaker. Buck later announced, in a video, that he won't be seeking reelection in 2024.

In an article published by the conservative website The Bulwark on November 6, Chris Deaton — a former GOP aide on Capitol Hill and ex-editor for the now-defunct Weekly Standard — points to Buck as a prime example of a Republican who, despite having a very conservative resumé, has come under attack from fellow Republicans for being insufficiently MAGA.

Deaton laments that in 2023's GOP, doing "the right thing" can easily become a political liability.

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"Despite having backed Matt Gaetz's effort to oust Kevin McCarthy earlier in the month, and despite a lifetime voting record of 97 percent from the American Conservative Union — 5 percentage points higher than that of Speaker Mike Johnson, mind you — Buck was not only on the outs with his base, but some in his base literally wanted him dead, a situation not unique among Jordan's detractors," Deaton explains. "Understandably, Buck decided to do last Thursday what a growing list of former Republican colleagues have done after facing an intolerable combination of threats against family, other pressure from the primary electorate, and difficult electoral math: announce his retirement."

Other Republicans who decided against seeking reelection after alienating Trumpsters included Sen. Mitt Romney (R-Utah), former Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R-Illinois) and former Sen. Jeff Flake (R-Arizona). Deaton laments that these days, "the costliest error in Republican primary politics is doing the right thing."

Deaton warns, "We are living in, as George F. Will recently put it, 'the most dangerous U.S. moment since World War II, more menacing than the October 1962 Cuban missile crisis.' Such a time requires clarity, forward thinking, and moral leadership. But it is abundantly clear that Republicans are not up these challenges — which was not lost on Buck."

READ MORE: Why Ken Buck’s exit 'says more about the state of his party than his positions': analysis

Read Ken Deaton's full article for The Bulwark at this link.