# What are the odds that Lindsey Graham isn't being blackmailed? **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [August 31, 2022, 9:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-odds-that-lindsey-graham-isnt-being-blackmailed/970675 "2022-08-31T21:09:17Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Cervaise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cervaise/32/16693_2.png) [@Cervaise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cervaise)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2022, 7:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-odds-that-lindsey-graham-isnt-being-blackmailed/970675/61 "2022-09-27T07:30:29Z")
> **[Alberto Gonzales](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alberto_Gonzales)** > > Alberto R. Gonzales (born August 4, 1955) is an American lawyer who served as the 80th United States Attorney General, appointed in February 2005 by President George W. Bush, becoming the highest-ranking Hispanic American in executive government to date. He was the first Hispanic person to serve as White House Counsel. Earlier he had been Bush's General Counsel during the latter's governorship of Texas. Gonzales had also served as Secretary of State of Texas and then as a Texas Supreme Court J... Much discussed, never actually nominated. (I assume this is who was meant.) ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2022, 11:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-odds-that-lindsey-graham-isnt-being-blackmailed/970675/62 "2022-09-27T11:17:45Z")
FTR, I saw what you did there. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/7IBvZlRqOTw/hqdefault.jpg "Total Recall") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7IBvZlRqOTw) ---
**Author:** ![Babale](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/babale/32/15666_2.png) [@Babale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Babale)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2022, 12:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-odds-that-lindsey-graham-isnt-being-blackmailed/970675/63 "2022-09-27T12:25:53Z")
> [@Horatius](#): > > Liz Cheney has proven that it’s possible to support Trump’s entire legislative agenda, without having your lips locked on his butt cheeks. “He did what we wanted him to do” just doesn’t explain it. Liz Cheney has also proved that you cannot stay in power as a right winger without locking your lips onto Trump’s ass. She is the perfect example of why LG “has” to suck up to Trump. ---
**Author:** ![RitterSport](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rittersport/32/6326_2.png) [@RitterSport](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RitterSport)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2022, 12:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-odds-that-lindsey-graham-isnt-being-blackmailed/970675/64 "2022-09-27T12:52:28Z")
There’s a huge middle ground between LG (calling to try and overturn election results, for example) and LC. Look at Grassley, McConnell, Shelby, Murkowski, Collins for other very senior senators. None of them are nearly as subservient to Trump. ---
**Author:** ![Pardel-Lux](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pardel-lux/32/20182_2.png) [@Pardel-Lux](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pardel-Lux)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2022, 2:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-odds-that-lindsey-graham-isnt-being-blackmailed/970675/65 "2022-09-27T14:03:22Z")
Just read in The Atlantic the following article: > **[Three Conversations With Donald Trump](https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2022/09/donald-trump-maggie-haberman-mar-a-lago/671510/)** > > The former president tried to sell his preferred version of himself, but said much more than he intended. Quoting from the long and interesting article: > When I arrived at the Trump National Golf Club Bedminster, I waited in a small room off the front entrance. I spotted Lindsey Graham outside, in golf pants; it was the second time I had encountered him in Trump’s vicinity that year. Trump eventually entered the room, having lost a noticeable amount of weight since I had seen him last. Graham followed a minute later and gestured toward Trump. “The greatest comeback in American history!” Graham declared. Trump looked at me. “You know why Lindsey kisses my ass?” he asked. “So I’ll endorse his friends.” Graham laughed uproariously. What I don’t understand is why some people here have argued that politicians like Lindsey Graham say outrageous things and bend over backwards to stay in power. What kind of power is this were you cannot say what you think? That is no power! That is make believe, going though the motions, but not getting what you want to achieve. Achieving something is power. Well, I guess that explains why I am not a politician. I am too naive. And it also explains why there are so few politicians I respect. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_Bravo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_bravo/32/493_2.png) [@Johnny\_Bravo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_Bravo)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2022, 2:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-odds-that-lindsey-graham-isnt-being-blackmailed/970675/66 "2022-09-27T14:20:13Z")
> [@Pardel-Lux](#): > > Achieving something is power. Power is getting what you want. For some people, that might be creating lasting achievements. For others, it’s wealth and control over other human beings. Politicians tend to be in the latter camp. That doesn’t mean they’re playing make believe. Just that their goals are not your goals. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2022, 2:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-odds-that-lindsey-graham-isnt-being-blackmailed/970675/67 "2022-09-27T14:33:38Z")
> [@Pardel-Lux](#): > > Just read in The Atlantic the following article: > [Maggie Haberman: A Reckoning With Donald Trump - The Atlantic](https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2022/09/donald-trump-maggie-haberman-mar-a-lago/671510/) > Quoting from the long and interesting article: > > > When I arrived at the Trump National Golf Club Bedminster, I waited in a small room off the front entrance. I spotted Lindsey Graham outside, in golf pants; it was the second time I had encountered him in Trump’s vicinity that year. Trump eventually entered the room, having lost a noticeable amount of weight since I had seen him last. Graham followed a minute later and gestured toward Trump. “The greatest comeback in American history!” Graham declared. Trump looked at me. “You know why Lindsey kisses my ass?” he asked. “So I’ll endorse his friends.” Graham laughed uproariously. > > What I don’t understand is why some people here have argued that politicians like Lindsey Graham say outrageous things and bend over backwards to stay in power. What kind of power is this were you cannot say what you think? That is no power! That is make believe, going though the motions, but not getting what you want to achieve. Achieving something is power. You switch between two things here. Power isn’t saying what you want. It’s getting what you want. And the Republicans in general have done a good job with that, with the only sacrifice being that they have to say things they previously thought would harm the party. My take is that Graham believes that doubling down is the only way to go, because Trump has ruined the Republican party to that point. McConnell still believes that Trumpism will wane, while Graham doesn’t. By embracing Trump, he can get the enthusiastic voters who were not willing to support him as a Republican. And the more Trumpism alienates people, the more he has to go in on it to replace those he loses with more Trumpists. He doesn’t believe going the other direction is viable. It’s possible he thinks actual open conservatism might be viable again someday, but seeing as he was able to completely switch allegiances once and still come out ahead, he likely thinks he can do it again. Though it’s also possible he thinks that there just is no way Republicans are coming back from this. What matters to him is just having the levers of power, of being able to at least bend some things his way–the things that aren’t the stuff that gets into the news. * * * Though I would also point out that a lot of people in power have no principles at all. Don’t assume they actually want a whole lot of the things they say they want. Being a politician and getting all that funding from donors is itself pretty nice. And likely worth more long term than becoming a pundit, especially when you’re older and less likely to be able to make the switch. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2022, 12:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-odds-that-lindsey-graham-isnt-being-blackmailed/970675/68 "2022-10-07T00:25:50Z")
> [@BigT](#): > > actual open conservatism “Actual conservatism” is maintenance of the status quo hierarchy. That is not in conflict with or in contrast to Trumpism. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2022, 12:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-odds-that-lindsey-graham-isnt-being-blackmailed/970675/69 "2022-10-07T00:43:20Z")
> [@Acsenray](#): > > > [@BigT](#): > > > > actual open conservatism ⁢ > > “Actual conservatism” is maintenance of the status quo hierarchy. That is not in conflict with or in contrast to Trumpism. ⁢ Trumpism does not seek to maintain the status quo hierarchy, though. That’s why there’s so much talk about “RINOs,” disrupting who was in charge of the Republican Party. That’s why they are attacking all the “libs” who are in charge. It’s why they are trying to hijack the schools. And that’s just talking about generic “conservatism.” The fact they label conservatives “RINOs” shows that they see US conservatives as something different from themselves. Trumpism is an attempt of a fascist takeover of the Republican Party. Sure, there were some slower moves to that before, but Trumpism decided those weren’t moving fast enough. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2022, 1:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-odds-that-lindsey-graham-isnt-being-blackmailed/970675/70 "2022-10-07T01:00:41Z")
> [@BigT](#): > > Trumpism does not seek to maintain the status quo hierarchy, though. That’s why there’s so much talk about “RINOs,” disrupting who was in charge of the Republican Party. While they might unseat a handful of official party leaders, they overall seek to maintain the social hierarchy, generally straight white Protestant cisgender men at the top and everyone else in various layers below them. Don’t expect to see the current 1 percent being toppled under Trumpism. The Republican Party might not have been blatantly fascist since the 1950s (most of the time, see Joseph McCarthy) but fascism didn’t incompatible with whatever else they might have been. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-odds-that-lindsey-graham-isnt-being-blackmailed/970675.md?page=3)