The Invention of Elise Stefanik

For years, Ms. Stefanik had crafted her brand as a model moderate millennial — “the future of hopeful, aspirational politics in America,” as her mentor, Paul Ryan, would describe her in Time magazine. But as her third term unfolded, according to current or former friends and advisers, it was becoming painfully clear that she was the future of a Republican Party that no longer existed. The party was now firmly controlled by Donald J. Trump, a populist president she didn’t like or respect — a “whack job,” as she once described him in a message obtained by The New York Times. Fox hosts attacked her for not supporting Mr. Trump enough.

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Instead she embarked on one of the most brazen political transformations of the Trump era. With breathtaking speed and alacrity, Ms. Stefanik remade herself into a fervent Trump apologist, adopted his over-torqued style on Twitter and embraced the conspiracy theories that animate his base, amplifying debunked allegations of dead voters casting ballots in Atlanta and unspecified “irregularities” involving voting-machine software in 2020 swing states. The future of hopeful, aspirational politics in America now assails Democrats as “the party of Socialists, illegals, criminals, Communist Truth Ministers & media stenographers.” In the process, she has rocketed from the backbench to the party’s No. 3 House leadership job, presiding over the conference’s overall messaging.

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Greenbeard said:

Fascinating profile of exactly the sort of soulless ghoul that politics at its worst attracts.

A moderate Republican from New York, rightly repulsed by Trump, who contemplates leaving Congress as it becomes clear the party is too batshit at this point for the political space she occupies. Then she decides "**** it, I can out-batshit the best of them!" And so of course she rockets into the leadership.

The Invention of Elise Stefanik



Honestly, it all made sense when the piece identified Paul Ryan as her mentor. That worthless empty suit "has told associates he now considers her the biggest disappointment of his political career," which suggests he hasn't reflected much on his sad tenure as Speaker/Trump's lapdog.

Anyway, yuck.

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Greenbeard said:

Fascinating profile of exactly the sort of soulless ghoul that politics at its worst attracts.

A moderate Republican from New York, rightly repulsed by Trump, who contemplates leaving Congress as it becomes clear the party is too batshit at this point for the political space she occupies. Then she decides "**** it, I can out-batshit the best of them!" And so of course she rockets into the leadership.

The Invention of Elise Stefanik



Honestly, it all made sense when the piece identified Paul Ryan as her mentor. That worthless empty suit "has told associates he now considers her the biggest disappointment of his political career," which suggests he hasn't reflected much on his sad tenure as Speaker/Trump's lapdog.

Anyway, yuck.

Click to expand...

lemmiwinx said:

Republicans have become a laughing stock we can all agree. That's still no reason to sit there while the Nancy Pelosi's and Stacey Abrams's of the world take over our lives.

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lemmiwinx said:

Republicans have become a laughing stock we can all agree. That's still no reason to sit there while the Nancy Pelosi's and Stacey Abrams's of the world take over our lives.

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