Out-of-touch politicians ask, 'Is it me?' then blame voters for their loss

Though it had been predicted for months, Rep. Liz Cheney’s loss to Harriet Hageman dominated politics this week, in Wyoming and beyond.

White House Chief of Staff Ron Klain warned that the outcome proved “the American people are going to have to fight for their democracy.” CNN anchor Alisyn Camerota doubled-down, asking of Wyoming voters, “What does that mean for our democracy?”

It seems the problem with our democracy is that citizens keep voting for people the Beltway doesn’t like. Both Democratic pols and Never Trump Republicans condemned the Cowboy State rabble.

It reminds me of Principal Skinner from “The Simpsons,” asking “Am I out of touch?” before quickly deciding, “No, it’s the children who are wrong.”

Cheney's loss is democracy in action

Whether the political class likes the outcome or not, Wyoming’s GOP primary was the very definition of democracy. If a senator or representative doesn’t serve their constituents, they get booted. It’s not as complicated as some pundits want to make it.

Two months ago, seven-term U.S. Rep. Kurt Schrader of Oregon was ousted by an upstart in his primary. Voters from the 5th Congressional District were unhappy that the Democrat dragged his feet on President Biden’s agenda, so they replaced him with challenger Jamie McLeod-Skinner.

Another view: Enjoy Cheney now, Democrats. One day you'll hate her

That story didn’t spark murmurs of “democracy in peril.” Few even noticed. Citizens decided the incumbent wasn’t a good fit for their district and voted accordingly. Similar results have happened every election cycle for more than two centuries.

Trump, of course, complicates things. He’s been out of office for nearly two years and talking heads still can’t get enough of the guy. Rep. Cheney’s third and final term saw her pivot to a monomaniacal focus on sticking it to the former president instead of dealing with the issues her constituents actually cared about.

Want to win? Focus on what voters want

If the top issue facing Wyoming Republicans was punishing Trump for Jan. 6, Cheney would have been a shoo-in. Instead, her base was more concerned with the 372 things Biden’s messed up since then.

Wyomingites (Wyomingians? Wyomese?) are upset about the administration’s war on fossil fuels, broken supply chains and inflation – kitchen-table issues that have made their lives worse on a daily basis. Imagine that.

“But they should focus on Jan. 6,” you say. Well, they don’t. Now what?

Perhaps a shrewder politician could have threaded the needle between policy and personality; reprimanding Trump while countering Biden’s agenda. But Liz Cheney didn’t gain office by shrewdness, rather by having a famous last name.

She only lived in Wyoming a few years as a kid before buying a house there 10 years ago to begin a political career. The rest of her life was spent in her real home, Washington, D.C.

Unsurprisingly, her behavior in office reflected this. She was so focused on winning over Washington and Manhattan, she forgot about Casper and Cheyenne. Her voters noticed and acted accordingly.

Voters aren't always right, but don't scold them

Voters in both parties are sick of “business as usual.” According to Gallup, only a quarter of Americans believe the country’s on the right track while the approval rating for Congress dropped to 7%. It’s surprising more incumbents weren’t tossed this year.

Watching “the experts” get everything wrong for the past two decades hasn’t improved voters’ mood. When our betters demand we choose Candidate A, smart money should bet on Candidate B.

It’s not like voters get everything right; several of my preferred candidates went down in flames over the past few years. That’s democracy for you. But if those second-place finishers want another shot in two years, they better up their game. Scolding the electorate isn’t working.

The political class keeps asking “Are we out of touch?” only to respond, “No, it’s the voters who are wrong.”

They should reassess that answer if they want to stay in office.

Jon Gabriel, a Mesa resident, is editor-in-chief of Ricochet.com and a contributor to The Republic and azcentral.com. On Twitter: @exjon.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Liz Cheney loses, and so we blame voters? That's out of touch