All true, but you and Jazzhead are talking about different Republicans. I think Jazzhead is correct hat the insurrection was prevented from succeeding by several dozen elected and appointed Republican officials who stood up to Trump's pressure. This isn't a free pass to the many House Republicans, smaller fraction of Senate Republicans, and Republicans in the state legislatures and some Governor's seats, who aided and abetted Former President Trump in what I believe can best be called an attempted coup. But, the cowardice and venality of so many elected Republicans and so many truly bizarre Trump-allied lawyers can in no way, at least IMHO, detract from the true courage and fidelity of those Republicans who risked careers to effectively stop the coup from succeeding.
I think the complaints here are examples of tribalism on our Dem side. I didn't like Governor Pence, didn't think all that much of V.P. Pence, but... in the post-election period, Pence was a true hero. He risked career and his life to frustrate the former president. Does that mean that, like Jazzhead, I want to see him as our next president. No, I don't -- I disagree with him on just about every policy position important to me. That doesn't mean he played a huge role in saving our democracy. No, it wasn't Democrats who put our democracy at risk. They weren't in positions to either destroy it or prevent its destruction. That sacrifice to preserve democracy had to come from Republicans in the executive branch of the federal government and from elected supervisors of elections, like Brad Raffensberger. They have had a ton of pressure and threats to their lives and the lives of their familes, along with the lesser risk to their jobs, from Trump and his most ardent supporters and enablers.
I don't understand why good, traditional liberals, are uanble to recognize moments of shining honor and courage by members of the opposing party. It doesn't mean we agree with everything they support politically, or even a significant part of what they fight for politically, but we should recognize and honor them for saving democracy. If Pence does become president, I will wish that the new president was a sensible Dem progressive instead, but it will give me some reassurance to know that Pence is a person of character who defended our Constitution and democracy. Doesn't at all mean I won't do what I can to oppose much of what he will want to accomplish in office. Those are two very different things.
I always thought Liz Cheney was a reactionary conservative, in the mold of her father who enabled the pointless and entered-into-through-lies horrendously costly Iraq War. But, she showed me a lot this past almost year.
I don't believe it helps anyone, and it definitely hurts our nation, to demonize members and elected officials of the other party. We can disagree with policies they wish to implement. Many people vote on cultural issues. The strongest is abortion, a case where activists on both sides have gone extremist and both sides are guided by their personal and their religion's sense of what is moral. These are the most divisive possible issues. The abortion debate is the same intensity and as deeply rooted in sense of self, way of life, and religion as was slavery. It is a dispute which may never end, just as legal slavery was replaced by legally-enforced racism of segregation, and now by still fairly entrenched racism not rooted in the law.
Apart from the politicians, we have a whole universe of paid interest-group leaders who need to inflame divisions in order to raise more money and increase their own salary and power. This is not a good thing and it has driven us to become a nation dominated by polarized extremes..