Opinion: Liz Cheney Deserved to Lose Her Position

Rep. Liz Cheney, R-Wyo., is done as Caucus chair in GOP congressional leadership.

The pearl-clutching and virtue signaling has started amongst neo-conservative, weak moderates such as Rep. Adam Kinzinger, R-Ill., and even those on the left.

Attacks have already begun against her replacement, Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y.

Critics assert her support for, and support from, former President Donald Trump is the reasoning for victory.

Yet, many are looking at this situation as an opportunity to slam the new right as not having an identity, and simply doing whatever President Trump tells them to.

But the truth is that Cheney has had this day of reckoning coming for a long time because of her performance in Congress.

Many are forgetting just what this leadership position requires, and what it takes for a member of Congress to hold it.

A candidate for caucus chair must gain respect from colleagues, campaign for the post; they must ensure trust among those she is supposed to represent.

Once a member is elected to the position, they must fulfill the critical job duties of getting members re-elected, fundraising for them, and making them look good to the general public, so they can attempt to win as many seats possible.

None of the preceding traits is what Cheney is known for among the GOP congressional caucus.

What she is mainly remembered for is bucking many of the House minority party in that group's largest faction, the Freedom Caucus.

Cheney has not conducted herself as a leader while caucus chair either.

She continuously slams colleagues over foreign policy disagreements. An example being the time she attacked her Senate counterpart Rand Paul, R-Ky., on Twitter and even actively supported primary against one of her fellow members: Congressman Thomas Massie, R-Ky.

Plenty can argue that if voters supported her, then she deserves to be in Congress; that the GOP needs to continue welcoming all ideologies within the party.

Still, critics need to realize that the leadership position is a privilege, and that it’s one granted by the respect of those they serve.

Liz Cheney lost that respect and has now been replaced by Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., who has garnered such respect.

In the election cycle of 2020, Stefanik was far more publicly active in campaigning for her colleagues, especially candidates who were freshman women. Stefanik's Elevate PAC helped boost female GOP candidates in 2020, aiding the House GOP in obtaining 18 new female members. That alone is more than Cheney is known for during her tenure.

Elise Stefanik has perhaps voted more moderately than many on the right would care for, but she has accomplished more in meeting the job requirements of caucus chair than the incumbent did during her time in the post.

Stefanik was elected as conference chair on Friday, May 14. Even if she accomplishes even little to nothing in the position, it will still be 10 times more than Cheney ever did.

Cheney did not fulfill her expectations in congressional leadership and got fired for it. She squandered her opportunity far too many times to hold this post of privilege and deserves everything that has happened to her. Cheney was nothing but a self-serving neoconservative demonizing the members who put her in that position in the first place.

Conservatives should be dancing in the streets because she will no longer be in congressional leadership. Good riddance.