MEMBERS OF YOUR FAMILY. THEY'RE GOING TO HAVE AN AWKWARD WEEK. BUT THE NEVADA REPUBLICAN PARTY ISN'T EVEN THE WORST OF THEM. SURE, THEY ARE ABOUT TO HOLD TWO SEPARATE AND INCOMPATIBLE ELECTIONS FOR THE SAME OFFICE, EACH WITH DIFFERENT NAMES ON THE BALLOT, EACH IN THE SAME WEEK. BUT ON DIFFERENT DAYS, AND THE NEVADA STATE REPUBLICAN PARTY REPORTEDLY HAS ONLY ONE PAID FULL-TIME STAFFER RIGHT NOW AND THEIR STATE PARTY CHAIRMAN IS UNDER FELONY INDICTMENT AND ABOUT TO STAND TRIAL. PITY THE NEVADA REPUBLICAN PARTY BUT THEY'RE BETTER OFF THAN SOME OF THE OTHERS. AT LEAST THEY HAVE A STATE PARTY CHAIR. AN INDICTED ONE, YES, BUT HE HAS A JOB. IN NEARBY ARIZONA, BIG SWING STATE, THE REPUBLICAN STATE PARTY CHAIR THERE JUST RESIGNED IN A WEIRD BRIBERY AND LEAKED STAPE SCANDAL. IN FLORIDA, BIG IMPORTANT STATE, THE REPUBLICAN STATE PARTY CHAIR THERE WAS JUST FIRED AGAINST HIS WILL. IN MICHIGAN, BIG IMPORTANT SWING STATE, THE REPUBLICAN PARTY CHAIR WAS JUST REMOVED BUT SHE REFUSES TO LEAVE. BOTH SHE AND THE GUY WHO MIGHT BE HER REPLACEMENT SHOWED UP AT THE REPUBLICAN PARTY'S ANNUAL WINTER MEETING THIS WEEKEND, BOTH CLAIMING TO BE THE CHAIR OF THE MICHIGAN REPUBLICAN PARTY. THE RNC HAS NO IDEA WHAT TO DO WITH THIS PROBLEM WITH TWO DIFFERENT PEOPLE CLAIMING TO BE THE CHAIR OF THE STATE PARTY. FOR THE PURPOSES OF THE MEETING, THEY LISTED THE CHAIRMAN JOB AS VACANT. AND THEY DECIDED WHEN BOTH OF THE PEOPLE WHO CLAIMED TO BE THE CHAIRMAN SHOWED UP, THEY DECIDED THEY WOULD GIVE PASSES TO THE MEETING TO BOTH OF THE PEOPLE WHO CLAIMED TO BE THE CHAIR OF THE MICHIGAN STATE PARTY, BUT THEY ONLY GAVE THEM GUEST PASSES, NOT LIKE MEMBER PASSES OR STATE PARTY CHAIR PASSES. SO AS GUESTS, NEITHER OF THEM WAS ABLE TO VOTE ON ANYTHING OR PARTICIPATE IN ANYTHING OFFICIAL. DID I MENTION THAT IT'S AN ELECTION YOUR AND THAT'S ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT SWING STATES IN THE COUNTRY? HEADING INTO THE BIG REPUBLICAN PARTY MEETING THIS WEEKEND, IT SEEMED LIKE THE NATIONAL CHAIR OF THE REPUBLICAN PARTY MIGHT BE THROWN OUT OF HER JOB, TOO. AND YOU KNOW, THAT MAKES SENSE JUST FROM A 30,000 FOOT PERSPECTIVE. EVEN IF YOU KNEW NOTHING ABOUT HER. IF YOU DON'T WANT TO BLAME THE PARTY'S ELECTORAL WOES SINCE DONALD TRUMP FIRST CAME ON THE SCENE IN 2016, IF YOU DON'T WANT TO BLAME THE PARTY'S ELECTORAL WOES ON HIM, WELL, SHE WOULD BE THE OBVIOUS OTHER PERSON TO BLAME, AS THE CHAIR OF THE REPUBLICAN PARTY DURING THAT TIME. I MEAN, DONALD TRUMP BECAME PRESIDENT IN JANUARY 2017. HE NAMED HER, RONNA McDANIEL, TO BE THE CHAIR OF THE REPUBLICAN PARTY IN 2017, IN HER FIRST ELECTION THEREAFTER IN 2018, THE REPUBLICAN PARTY LOST 40 SEATS AND LOST THE HOUSE. THE REPUBLICANS THAT YEAR LOST THE POPULAR VOTE IN THOSE MIDTERM ELECTIONS BY THE LARGEST MARGIN SINCE THE 1980s. THEN IN THE NEXT ELECTION, IN 2020, THE REPUBLICANS LOST THE WHITE HOUSE AND THE SENATE, AS WELL AS THE HOUSE THEY HAD PREVIOUSLY LOST. TRUMP AND RONNA ROMNEY-McDANIEL MANAGED TO LOSE BOTH CHAMBERS OF THE CONGRESS AND THE PRESIDENCY IN A SINGLE TERM WHICH WAS THE FIRST TIME THAT HAD HAPPENED SINCE HERBERT HOOVER. 2022, WITH RONNA McDANIEL STILL IN CHARGE AT THE RNC AND TRUMP STILL EFFECTIVELY LEADING HIS PARTY FROM THE SIDELINES, THE REPUBLICANS TURNED IN A PERFORMANCE IN THE 2022 MIDTERMS THAT WAS THE WORST PERFORMANCE BY A PARTY NOT HOLDING THE WHITE HOUSE IN DECADES, ARGUABLY IN A CENTURY. EVEN IN 2023, LAST YEAR, OFF YEAR ELECTIONS, DEMOCRATS DID UNEXPECTEDLY WELL IN ELECTIONS IN VIRGINIA AND KENTUCKY AND OHIO AND EVERY DARN PLACE THAT HELD ANY REFERENDUM ON ABORTION RIGHTS AFTER TRUMP APPOINTED JUDGES OVERTURNED ROE V. WADE, AND NOW IT'S 2024, AND TRUMP IS VERY MUCH STILL IN CHARGE. AND THREE SWING STATE REPUBLICAN PARTIES AND COUNTING ARE IN TOTAL MELTDOWN, BUT YOU'RE NOT ALLOWED TO BLAME TRUMP FOR ANY OF THAT. AND SO HEADING INTO THE REPUBLICAN PARTY'S RONNA McDANIEL FACES MOUNTING GOP CRITICISM. RONNA McDANIEL FACES AMBUSH AT RNC MEETING. MAGA REPUBLICANS RAGED OVER RNC FAILURES. GOT TO BLAME SOMEONE. LET'S THROW HER OUT. RONNA ROMNEY-McDANIEL DID SEEM TO SURVIVE THE RNC'S WEEKEND MEETING, AT LEAST IT SEEMED THAT WAY WHEN THINGS WRAPPED UP AT THEIR BIG MEETING ON SATURDAY. BUT THEN ON SUNDAY MORNING, TRUMP WENT BACK ON FOX AND SAID ABOUT RONNA ROMNEY-McDANIEL, I THINK SHE DID OKAY INITIALLY IN THE RNC. I WOULD SAY RIGHT NOW THERE WILL PROBABLY BE CHANGES MADE. SO HE'S SAYING HE WANTS HER OUT. NOW, HE'S JUST DONE ANOTHER INTERVIEW WITH ANOTHER RIGHT-WING NETWORK WHERE HE SAID SHE SHOULD BE OUT OF HER JOB. HE WAS ASKED IS IT TIME FOR HER TO STEP ASIDE. HE RESPONDED, WELL, I THINK SHE KNOWS THAT. I THINK SHE UNDERSTANDS THAT. TRUMP NOW PUT OUT A STATEMENT THIS EVENING SAYING THAT HE WILL MAKE HIS PRONOUNCEMENT ON HER FATE LATER THIS MONTH AFTER THE REPUBLICAN PRIMARY IN SOUTH CAROLINA. OKAY, SURE. BUT LISTEN, MAYBE YOU DON'T NEED A PARTY OR YOU DON'T NEED MUCH OF ONE. EACH OF THE TWO MAJOR POLITICAL PARTIES IN OUR COUNTRY HAS DONE OKAY IN PREVIOUS ELECTION YEARS EVEN WHEN THE PARTIES THEMSELVES WERE ORGANIZATIONALLY KIND OF A MESS. WHAT IS DIFFERENT HERE, WHAT'S IMPORTANT FOR ALL OF US HERE IN THIS MOMENT IS THAT THE REPUBLICAN PARTY NOW IN THE AGE OF TRUMP APPEARS TO BE NOT JUST A MESS, THEY APPEAR TO BE SORT OF DISSOLVING THEMSELVES. WHATEVER HAPPENS TO RONNA ROMNEY-McDANIEL, AND HOWEVER HER LEADERSHIP AT THE REPUBLICAN NATIONAL COMMITTEE IS GOING TO COME TO AN END, THE THING THAT SHE WILL LIKELY GO DOWN FOR IN HISTORY IS THE MOMENT IN 2020 WHEN UNDER HER LEADERSHIP, THE PARTY DECIDED THERE WOULD NO LONGER BE A REPUBLICAN PARTY PLATFORM. THEY DECIDED THAT OFFICIALLY AND EXPLICITLY, THE REPUBLICAN PARTY WOULD NO LONGER STAND FOR ANY PARTICULAR THING, OTHER THAN GENERICALLY SAYING THAT THEY SUPPORTED TRUMP'S OVERALL AGENDA. WE STAND FOR NOTHING EXCEPT WHATEVER THE LEADER WANTS. THAT WAS A SIGNAL MOMENT. AND IT'S A MOMENT RIGHT NOW TO HAVE ALL OF THIS CHAOS IN STATE REPUBLICAN PARTIES INCLUDING IN SOME OF THE MOST IMPORTANT STATES IN THE COUNTRY, FOR THE ELECTION. IF YOU ARE A REPUBLICAN VOTER IN NEVADA, WHEN DO YOU VOTE FOR YOUR CHOICE FOR A REPUBLICAN PARTY PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE THIS WEEK? DO YOU VOTE TOMORROW, DO YOU VOTE THURSDAY? YOU CAN VOTE IN BOTH? HOW IS THAT POSSIBLE YOU CAN VOTE IN BOTH? WELL, APPARENTLY, THAT'S BECAUSE ONE IS THE OFFICIAL EVENT RUN BY THE STATE, WHICH DOESN'T COUNT, AND ONE'S NOT AN OFFICIAL STATE-RUN EVENT BUT IT'S THE ONE THEY'RE COUNTING BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT TRUMP WANTED. OKAY, DOES THAT MAKE SENSE? DO YOU KNOW HOW YOU'RE SPENDING YOUR WEEK? AND LET'S HOPE THE COUNTING IS DONE BEFORE THE STATE PARTY CHAIRMAN IS DUE IN COURT TO FACE HIS FELONY CHARGES RELATED TO ALLEGEDLY TRYING TO FALSIFY THE RESULTS OF THE LAST ELECTION IN THAT STATE. THAT'S HOW TRUMP WANTS IT, SO THAT'S HIS GUY, SO THAT'S WHAT NEVADA REPUBLICANS ARE SUPPOSED TO DO THIS WEEK. AND NO, LET'S NOT HAVE ANY REAL REPUBLICAN PRIMARY DEBATES THIS WHOLE YEAR. AT LEAST NONE THAT INCLUDE THE FRONT-RUNNING CANDIDATE BECAUSE THAT'S ALSO HOW HE WANTS IT SO THAT'S WHAT WE'LL DO. AND NO, LET'S NOT HAVE GENERAL ELECTION DEBATES THIS YEAR EITHER. BECAUSE IN 2020, TRUMP GOT THE REPUBLICAN PARTY UNDER RONNA McDANIEL TO SAY THAT THE REPUBLICAN PARTY WILL NO LONGER ALLOW ITS CANDIDATES TO PARTICIPATE IN EVENTS SPONSORED BY THE COMMISSION ON PRESIDENTIAL DEBATES, WHICH IS OVERSEEN GENERAL ELECTION DEBATES BETWEEN PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATES FOR DECADES. HE DIDN'T WANT THAT. SO HE HAD THE RNC PULL OUT OF THAT. SO TO RECAP, IT'S A POLITICAL PARTY WITH NO PARTY PLATFORM, NO NORMAL NOMINATING PROCESS FOR ITS NOMINEES, NO PRIMARY DEBATES, AND NO GENERAL ELECTION DEBATES. THEY'RE JUST COMING OFF THE WORST BACK-TO-BACK ELECTORAL PERFORMANCE BY ANY PARTY SINCE BEFORE FDR, AND IT'S ALL BECAUSE IT'S WHAT TRUMP WANTS. AND OF COURSE, WHY WOULD ANYTHING ELSE MATTER? BECAUSE WHO COULD DOUBT THE POLITICAL INSTINCTS OF A MAN WITH THIS KIND OF A TRACK RECORD? WITH THIS KIND OF AN ELECTORAL TRACK REPORT. A MAN WHO HANDED OUT FAKE I'M AN AUTOWORKER SIGN IN MICHIGAN AT A FAKE UNION EVENTS AND FILED THE RESOTES FOR IT PUBLICLY. WHO COULD DOUBT A MAN WITH POLITICALINSTINCTS. WHY HAVE A POLITICAL PARTY WHEN YOU CAN JUST FOLLOW WHEREVER HE'S LEADING? POLITICAL PARTIES ARE NOT THE MOST IMPORTANT INSTITUTIONS IN A DEMOCRACY. BUT THEY ARE PART OF IT. AND RIGHT NOW, IN OUR COUNTRY, ONE OF OUR TWO MAJOR POLITICAL PARTIES IS DISSOLVING ITSELF. AND JUST TONIGHT, POTENTIALLY PREPARING TO OUST YET ANOTHER OF ITS TOP LEADERS ALL IN THE SERVICE OF JUST DOING STUFF FOR THEIR GREAT LEADER INSTEAD OF DOING NORMAL PARTY STUFF AND NORMAL DEMOCRACY STUFF ANYMORE. AND I DON'T KNOW HOW MANY OF YOU WATCHING THIS TONIGHT, YOU KNOW, ARE MOURNING THE ILLNESS AND DEMISE OF THE REPUBLICAN PARTY AS AN INSTITUTION, I UNDERSTAND, BUT IF WE ARE GOING TO STAY A DEMOCRACY WITH A TWO-PARTY SYSTEM, THERE DO NEED TO BE TWO-PARTIES OF SOME KIND, OR WE HAVE TO DEVELOP INTO SOMETHING ELSE. I MEAN, RIGHT NOW, WHAT WE'RE VERY FAST BECOMING IS ONE PARTY ON ONE SIDE AND JUST A GUY ON THE OTHER. A GUY WHO THIS WEEK IS GOING BEFORE A UNITED STATES SUPREME COURT THAT IS GOING TO DECIDE IF MAYBE HE MIGHT BE INELIGIBLE TO EVER HOLD FEDERAL OFFICE EVER
