Jim Jordan: The Hard-Right's Rising Star in Congress

1 year ago
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Jim Jordan, the right-wing Ohio Republican, has propelled his rise in Congress, where he has made a name for himself with bare-knuckled partisan tactics and a penchant for picking fights with his adversaries, then using his higher profile to raise campaign funds and amass power. He has reserved his most ruthless tactics for Democrats, fighting them at every turn as they pursued investigations of Mr. Trump. Jordan led the band of hard-right lawmakers who pressured John A. Boehner to resign, and when a sexual abuse scandal at Ohio State University threatened to derail his political career, Jordan punched back in characteristic fashion, calling a wrestler's aging parents and asking them to persuade their son to back off the charge that Jordan knew about the abuse and did nothing.

When Representative Jim Jordan made his appeal to donors at a recent fund-raiser for the hard-right House Freedom Caucus, he pointed to his clash with Alvin L. Bragg, the Manhattan prosecutor who has criminally charged former President Donald J. Trump, as the kind of pursuit their money was helping support. On Monday, Mr. Jordan convened his panel in New York to battle Mr. Bragg on his own turf, in a hearing that aims to spotlight crime in the city on his watch. Mr. Jordan has accused Mr. Bragg of advancing "radical pro-crime, anti-victim policies" while pursuing a case against Mr. Trump that he claims constitutes "interference" in the 2024 presidential race.

Over eight terms in the House, Mr. Jordan, who served for a decade in Ohio's Statehouse before winning election to Congress, has not been the lead sponsor of a single bill that became law, earning him a perennial ranking from the Center for Effective Lawmaking as among the least effective members of Congress. (Mr. Jordan's aides argue he influences bills in committee without putting his name on them.)

Despite this, Jordan measures success in other ways. No single member of Congress has done more to push House Republicans to the right, forcing more mainstream and establishment figures in the party to cede ground to the archconservative wing. He is also the chairman of a powerful new subcommittee created at the insistence of right-wing Republicans to scrutinize what they call the "weaponization" of government against conservatives, which has yet to produce any new bombshell revelations. That is despite weeks of investigation, a budget of nearly $20 million, and scores of staff aides working to uncover wrongdoing.

Jordan's hearings include a level of partisanship and hostility that is notable even by today's hyper-polarized standards. At the weaponization subcommittee's last session, Delegate Stacey Plaskett of the Virgin Islands, the top Democrat, rose from her seat and threw a piece of paper back at a Republican who had handed it to her to prove a point. Ms. Plaskett later said Mr. Jordan's approach had created a "melodramatic, grievance-riddled, wannabe-daytime-drama" atmosphere.

Those same tactics have earned him hero status among rank-and-file members of the House G.O.P., particularly those on the far right, many of whom speak of Mr. Jordan with reverence. "He's probably one of the most universally respected members," said Representative Mike Johnson, the chairman of the conservative Republican Study Committee, a group that Mr. Jordan used to lead.

Jordan has become a rising star in Congress, and his influence continues to grow. However, some political analysts have raised concerns about the direction in which Jordan is taking the Republican Party, with his focus on hard-right policies and willingness to employ ruthless tactics to achieve his goals. Subscribe for more content like this.
Mr. Jordan has not only become a darling of the far right, but also a fundraising powerhouse. He has amassed a war chest of over $16 million, which he has used to donate to other conservative candidates and to support his own re-election campaigns. And as the Republican Party grapples with its post-Trump identity, Mr. Jordan is positioning himself as a leader of the conservative wing of the party.

But Mr. Jordan's tactics and behavior have also earned him criticism and scrutiny. His involvement in the Ohio State scandal has led to calls for investigations into his actions and possible legal consequences. And his role in promoting false claims of election fraud and his actions leading up to the Capitol riot have also drawn condemnation from some lawmakers and members of the public.

Despite this, Mr. Jordan shows no signs of slowing down. He continues to use his position of power to push his conservative agenda and to attack his perceived enemies. And as long as his tactics continue to resonate with the far-right base of the Republican Party, he will remain a force to be reckoned with in Congress.

In conclusion, Representative Jim Jordan has made a name for himself in Congress as a bare-knuckled partisan warrior who uses ruthless tactics to push his conservative agenda and to attack his adversaries. His rise to power has been fueled by his ability to fundraise and his appeal to the far-right base of the Republican Party. While his tactics have earned him both praise and criticism, there is no denying that he has become one of the most influential and polarizing figures in Congress today. In conclusion, social media has had a profound impact on our society, changing the way we communicate and interact with one another. It has opened up new opportunities for businesses and individuals to connect and build relationships, but it has also created new challenges in terms of privacy, cyberbullying, and addiction.

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