Not-Great Scott

Following President Joseph Biden's address to a joint session of Congress on April 28, 2021, I maintained that Senator Tim Scott of South Carolina was either "lying or stupid." Three days later I reconsidered, suggesting he is "someone who loves and reveres this country as the greatest but has only distaste for those of us living here." Now I have to reconsider again (or perhaps re-reconsider) his inspiration because on February 20, the Senator, asked by Trump TV's Maria Bartiromo whether he'd like to play second banana to Donald Trump, replied

Well, I think everyone wants to be on President Trump's bandwagon without any question. One of the things I've said to the President is that he gets to decide the future of our party and our country because he still is the loudest voice. What I hope happens is that we rally around the principles that lead to our greatest success. I am not looking for a seat on the ticket at this point. I'm looking to be re-elected in South Carolina. So my hope is you win next Friday's football game before thinking about any other one. So that's my primary responsibility.

"I think everybody wants to be on President Trump's bandwagon, without any question" -- Tim Scott sounds very open to being Trump's running mate pic.twitter.com/upzonRaaHr

— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) February 20, 2022

Oh, get a room. Obviously, Scott, wants to be selected by Donald Trump as the party's vice-presidential nominee. He qualifies his interest only by stating "not at this point" and by maintaining that he is not looking to be on the ticket. Trump knows where to find him.

Scott is not worshipping the ex-President because of principles of the supporting corporate interests over the public interest, unlimited funding of the Pentagon, low taxes for the wealthy, or even one of the GOP's current enervating principles, destruction of public education.  He is not recommending the Party "rally around" principles that have led to its success. He is speaking instead in the present tense, "principles that lead to our greatest success."  The Party's current dominating principle is faith in authoritarianism.

President Trump has no "bandwagon" currently because the guy with the bandwagon is not President.  Nor has Scott said anything to the President because, as far as can be determined, he hasn't spoken to Joe Biden. That's not nitpicking; Scott is raising Trump's stature while he reinforces the GOP myth that Donald Trump is the real President.

Scott reinforces his implication that Trump is President Trump also by arguing that the real estate mogul and actor "gets to decide the future of our party and our country because he still is the loudest voice." However, the United States of America is not the Trump family or the Trump business empire. As an ex-President, a coincidentally failed ex-President, he does not get to decide the future of the country.

For the Senator, Trump "gets to decide the future of our party" not because he has the right values, is a principled individual, or is the last Republican president. He gets to decide the future of the Republican Party because he has the loudest voice. Assuming Scott is not dense enough to believe that whomever talks loudest talks best, he is asserting that might makes right. Trump is pushy, mean, and vindictive, and that's good enough for Tim Scott.

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