Congressman Kinzinger or: How I Stopped Worrying And Learned To Love The Occasional Truth

First and foremost, I agree with Rep. Adam Kinzinger from Illinois on essentially nothing in the realm of politics. A legislator that I would characterize as a “down the middle” Republican, my Progressive political views would be the antithesis of almost all of Rep. Kinzinger’s political agenda.

What we can agree on is much more important, though.

In a political landscape full of extremists and conspiracy theorists that have made their way into some of the highest legislative positions in the country, there must be someone who is willing to speak out against their attempts to hijack the party message. There must be an attempt to keep the Republican Party planted in its foundations and try to keep it from splintering if the United States government is going to continue to function.

Every Ali needs a Frazier; every Magic a Bird. Without a counterbalancing force, progress and growth cannot be sustained or achieved in the first place.

That’s why progressive ideologies have been able to flourish in the Democratic Party; they are the counterbalance to the more conservative views that were ushered into the GOP with the Tea Party movement.

Without a single, whole conservative party in a first-past-the-post system, there’s nothing that would stop a complete takeover of the government by liberal lawmakers. While many people would certainly applaud and welcome such an occurrence, it wouldn’t have the desired effects that people expect.

Without the need to counteract parts of a single party, instead focusing on taking on various smaller parties, more centrist beliefs would rule the Democratic Party. The knowledge that more left-leaning progressives will almost certainly never vote for far-right views would leave Democratic leadership at no risk by not courting those voters and essentially stagnate the party.

That’s why Rep. Kinzinger speaking out is so important and should be applauded even if it’s at the most basic “crazy people passing laws is bad” level.

Like other “adult” conservatives of the recent past like John McCain and, I can’t believe I’m saying this, John Boehner, Kinzinger understands that politics is not a zero-sum endeavor.

While Kinzinger certainly believes in his conservative values, as can be seen by his voting record, he also appears to believe that sometimes Democratic and Republican agendas overlap. According to GovTrack, Kinzinger joined bipartisan bills the 21st most often in the House, putting him in the top 5% of all representatives.

Every Democratic win is not a Republican loss, regardless of what the likes of Mitch McConnell and others like him believe. Outright obstructionism that grinds the gears of the government to a halt simply to “own the libs” only leaves the population disillusioned with the entire legislative process and leaves voters less engaged. This leads to needing loud, possible fringe views to whip up a voting bloc that will show up and let in people like Marjorie Taylor Greene and Lauren Boebert to positions of power.

While it would be easy to keep his head down and wait for the Trumpism and QAnon members of Congress to lean too heavily into the extremes and get burned when the eventual rebuke snaps back on them, Kinzinger appears to be willing to fight it out even if it means doing it alone.

“There is a real split for the future of the party, and that epic battle has commenced,” Kinzinger told the Chicago Sun-Times during an interview. “I’m fine being the only one doing it or one of just a few, but it would be nice if more people that believe, similar to me, were vocal about it.”

Kinzinger has even gone so far as to start a campaign called “Country First”, aimed at “taking back” the Republican Party.

“Republicans must say enough is enough. It’s time to unplug the outrage machine, reject the politics of personality, and cast aside the conspiracy theories and rage. It’s time to turn back from the edge of darkness and return to the ideals that have long been our guiding light,” Kinzinger says in a recorded video on the campaign’s website. “The future of the GOP is on the line, and what we do will determine where America goes from here.”

Kinzinger’s outspokenness has not come without repercussions, though.

On January 3rd, the LaSalle County Republican Central Committee passed a resolution with 88% support censuring Kinzinger for actions “contrary to the values” of the party, according to county GOP Chair Larry Smith.

Disapproval has not only come from within his own party, but within his own family, as well.

“My dad’s cousins sent me a petition — a certified letter — saying they disowned me because I’m in ‘the devil’s army’ now,” Kinzinger told Business Insider. “It’s been crazy, when you have friends — that you thought were good friends that would love you no matter what — that don’t.”

There is also the possibility that the Congressman could face a tough primary challenge in the 2022 midterms. Reports have circulated that former President Donald Trump, who Kinzinger called on to resign following the Capitol riots on January 6th, is keeping a list of Republicans who feels have wronged him, possibly planning to endorse and fund primary challengers against them in upcoming elections.

Being such an outspoken critic of the twice-impeached president would most certainly land him on that list and with the censure from his local party committee added to it, Kinzinger would be a prime target.

With that election more than a year and half away and more information coming out every day about what roles various Trump administration officials and Congressional members played in the Capitol attack, what the state of the political landscape will look like then is unclear.

What is clear, though, is that Congressman Kinzinger deserves if not our support, at the very least our respect for his decision to wage the good war against extremism in the GOP.

Whether or not he is successful is almost immaterial in these circumstances; the fight is what is important. Sometimes you have to look around at the absurdity going on around you and hope that the person you see across the aisle is willing to try and save the world from itself, even if it means their own destruction.