It’s said that Democrats fall in love while Republicans fall in line. Look at what’s been happening on the Republican front. One word from Donald Trump and anyone who wants to remain in Republican politics snaps to attention and says, “Yes, sir!”

Take Nikki Haley for example, a woman who was arguably the most likely of any female Republican to take a leading role. She was a successful governor of South Carolina and the former UN Ambassador from Trump’s administration. Her campaign for president in 2024 did better than most predicted and she had what appeared to be a very bright political future. She dropped out of the campaign when it was clear that she couldn’t win and time went by. Many of us thought she was going to hold her ground against Trump. Then suddenly she released her delegates and encouraged them to vote for Donald Trump at the Republican Convention.

The list of prominent Republicans who have made an about face to back Trump is virtually endless: Ted Cruz, Mitch McConnell, Marco Rubio, Tim Scott, etc., etc., etc. It’s clear that if you want to remain in politics as a Republican, you must kiss the ring of the dear leader and kowtow to him. The before and after comments from the list above couldn’t be more blatant. One look at the fate of Liz Cheney and Adam Kinzinger and the group reacts like they’ve put their hands on a hot stove.

So what is it that makes these otherwise respectable Republicans adhere to Trump. It’s definitely not love. He has shamed them publicly and even insulted their wives as in the cases of Cruz and McConnell. Obviously it’s fear: fear that Trump will brand them with a nickname and make fun of them at his rallies, fear that he will turn his followers against them, fear that they will lose their position as senator or congressman or whatever, fear that their political careers will be over and they will have to work for a living.

Even after being voted out of office, Trump has held sway over the Republican Party. One phone call from him was enough to get almost every Republican senator (Lankford of Oklahoma is a notable exception) to turn against the bill that would have gone very far in solving the crisis at our southern border.

The Republican Party as a whole has acquiesced to Trump’s wishes. In 2016 the Republican National Committee (RNC) decided for the first time ever not to have a platform at their convention that laid out the beliefs and goals of the party. Their philosophy was “What he (Trump) says.” This year the RNC hasn’t gone that far. However, they have appointed quite a few of the writers of Project 2025 to the committee drafting the platform. This includes several of Trump’s team.

Democrats meanwhile are busy snatching defeat out of the jaws of victory. Biden’s poor performance at the recent debate had an increasing number of Dems encouraging Biden to step down. Another faction of the party tried standing fast in support of Biden because they believe that his great record will speak for itself. The oft used term “Dems in disarray” has raised its ugly head once again. But do you see the difference here? It’s not that Republicans are so organized that they all agree and the reverse is true of Democrats. It’s that Republicans are being poured into a mold and turned out as one big blob of gelatin while Democrats are desperately trying to find the solution to keeping our country free and giving the American people their best chance in life.

It’s a very messy way of doing business but that’s what a republic is. The people decide and the people have never been so divided. We have to ask, do we want to be absorbed into the jello mold of the Republican plan or do we want to be free to say what we think and not be afraid of the consequences. The fate of our nation hangs in the balance.

Verna Caruso, a Muncy native, is a former staff member at Inc. magazine and past chair of the Lycoming County Democratic Committee.