As the Gaetz scandal unfurls, the congressman has kept himself squarely in the spotlight.
The congressman, who is reportedly being investigated for the possible sex trafficking of a minor, has happily given interviews and on-the-record quotes, penned op-eds and furiously retweeted supportive articles and takes from rightwing outlets.
Yep, this is the playbook, isn’t it? The fundraising will give him some insight into where he stands with The Cult: if it’s meager, he’ll change tactics; if it’s decent, it’s full steam ahead.
The silence from the GOP is reassuring for him: it means the party believes that punishing him will play badly with The Cult. So, the fundraising is going to test the supposition.
The absolute worst that will happen to him is a slap on the wrist and perhaps the loss of his committee seat–both of which he can use to his benefit when he runs for higher office.
It’s interesting that more congressional Republicans are supporting him than are condemning him. So far, I think the score is 2-0. A truly muted response from his colleagues.
If Gaetz can successfully fundraise off of this, does this not suggest that there is money to be made running for office, being as corrupt and bombastic as possible, and making everybody as angry and disgusted as possible to attract stupid money?