We don't actually need the Republican Party to survive, guys. I know all the NeverTrump Republicans will claim we do, but we really, really don't.

There is enough diversity of opinion within the Democratic Party to serve as a check on any potential extremism and adequately represent all but the most wingnutty of the wingnuts. You will find more pro-life Democrats, for example, than Republicans who support abortion rights.

You will find more uncritical supporters of law enforcement among Democrats, for example, than you will find those willing to restrain the power of police among Republicans.

One party is a monolith. Another is not, and the way I know that is that when a Democratic president was impeached, THIRTY ONE DEMOCRATS VOTED FOR THE ARTICLES. https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/clinton-impeachment/clinton-impeachment-inquiry-approved-house-democrats-back-gop/

Nowhere in the United States Constitution does it say we need a party, two parties, any parties at all. We should not continue to prop up the existence of a group of people fingerbanging fascism and call it patriotic when all we're doing is preventing David Brooks having a sad.

I get that our national pundit infrastructure and "ideas festival" model of "thought leadership" requires we put two people on a stage and pretend they're equals but we can't pretend anymore that it doesn't lead to here, where people are dying.

To anyone who comes forward claiming we now must "save" or "rescue" or "reform" or "remake" the Republican Party (and if things go the right way day after tomorrow there will be a LOT OF THEM) the question they should have to answer is why? Why do we need the GOP?

Why do we need them in order to govern ourselves? There's a party pretty well prepared to do that, across the spectrum of public opinion, from Manchin to AOC. Why do we need anything else? We need bodies to fill the jobs, sure, but why must they have that stamp on their hands?

The burden should be on THE GOP to answer the question. They should have to justify their existence. They should have to say why they should exist. "Because otherwise Peggy Noonan will be upset" isn't a reason.

And if all they can do is sputter and spit, sorry, guys, but we're busy. Sort yourselves out on your own time. We've got a pandemic to stop, agencies to staff, junk mail to sort, you know, WORK. Which doesn't require an equal number of Republicans and Democrats.

Just people who believe in this country and want to work to make it better. If the GOP can find any of those, they can send them our way.