Braveheart Republican Woman

By Ayman Hakki,

When Liz Cheney lost her congressional seat to another republican handpicked by Donald Trump to run against her, she became my hero. Like John McCain, before her, she’ll be remembered fondly long after Mr. Trump strikes a deal with prosecutors to “not-run” for President. Because regardless of where the investigations go, I suspect he won’t run and be content wielding power from behind the scenes, as he did in Wyoming in order to defeat Congresswoman Cheney.

What Donald Trump did on January 6 was so subversive, that it rises to the level of betrayal for many Americans. While others seem to excuse him no matter what. All, Liz Cheney, had to do to be assured victory for herself in Wyoming, was to remain quiet about Trump’s inexcusable inaction, on January 6, and not embarrass sycophant Trump allies, particularly House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy according to Paul Kane (The Wash Post, Thu., August 18, 2022.)

Kane claims that one would have to go back to the 1950s to find someone who did the same as Liz Chaney Then, Senator Margaret ChaseSmith led the counterattack on McCarthyism. Both Cheney and ChaseSmith were Republicans, both stood up to would-be tyrants, and both were women. Kane’s article suggests to me that women may be more courageous than men in defending the truth, against their colleagues, even with their career on the line.

I suspect that a women’s instinct of sacrificing her own interests for the benefit of her children could explain why she does so more than a man. Cheney, from the day she was appointed to the committee investigating the attack on the Capitol, kept on defending the country, but she had to pay the price. Not only is she not going to become the first female Republican Speaker (a position also she was to fill,) she’s no longer a member of the House of Representatives. As a Syrian American Republican, disenchanted with the GOP, she is my hero. Putting country before politics is not what I’ve seen in Syria, and recently it’s not been what I’ve experienced here in the USA.

Of course, it’s much easier to stand up for one’s beliefs, when it doesn’t pose a life risk, when there is financial security, and when there is support in some circles for a principled stance. Liz Chaney enjoys having all the advantages, which makes it easy to speak one’s mind, but why have others-men especially male republicans-not done so? It is very unlikely that women in Syria would have the leverage Liz Chaney has. Being able to fall back to a comfortable life, in the event of losing one’s career is a privilege, not every woman has.

Maybe there is a little hero in all of us and given the right opportunity, we shouldn’t suppress it. Liz Chaney didn’t. She said what she’ll do and did it: “We must be very clear-eyed about the threat we face and about what’s required to defeat it. I have said since January 6 that I will do whatever it takes to ensure that Donald Trump is never again anywhere near the Oval Office. And I mean this” (Kane, 2022). She stood up to her own party’s man, just like any brave woman would.