With the news that a dozen Republican senators plan to be openly hostile to #democracy on Jan. 6, and the understandable frenzy on social & the media about this, I want to be clear about 3 things:

1. Their stunt on Jan. 6 will fail. What happens after objections are raised to a state's slate of electors in both the House and the Senate, is that they each have to debate the issue and then vote. It can't take more than 2 hours.

The House has a Democratic majority, so there's zero chance that a state's electors will get thrown out. (Both the House and the Senate have to agree.) All this is, is political theatre and as such, it'll get a lot of attention and make Trump happy.

You don't have to take my word on this. Read @Teri_Kanefield's explainer here: https://twitter.com/Teri_Kanefield/status/1337874756326936576?s=20

2. So the obvious question is, if this stunt is doomed to fail, why in the world are these Republicans doing this?

Contrary to what this looks like, it's not about their fealty to Trump.

Ironically, it's about their OWN election hopes. The House Republicans who plan to object come from very red districts. They're worried about a primary from someone even more right-wing than they are in 2022. This vote is about shoring up the MAGA faithful vote.

The list of Senators who will object, including Hawley, are already on the list as potential 2024 presidential candidates (or are looking at a governor's seat.) Just wait for the avalanche of fundraising emails once they do this.

So, yes, it's deeply ironic that these Republicans are undermining a bedrock of our democracy -- free and fair elections and a peaceful transfer of power -- in order to get elected themselves.

3. My final point. Just because this is doomed to fail, and is only about their own re-election hopes, doesn't mean that this stunt isn't deeply, deeply damaging to our country.

Neither Trump nor the Republicans have a shred of evidence of voter fraud or irregularities with this election. No court, even up to SCOTUS, has agreed with any of their allegations. (Thank you, @marceelias)

What this is, is proof that @davidfrum was right all along when a few years ago he predicted this:

“If conservatives become convinced that they can not win democratically, they will not abandon conservatism. The will reject democracy.”

And so, while I want you to not worry about what will happen on Jan. 6, we need to have our eyes WIDE OPEN as to who these Republicans are: enemies of democracy.

I hope you will join me in pledging to protect our democracy, in every possible way, in the coming years.

#SeditionHasConsequences #SeditiousGOP