politicians always do the politically convenient thing pretty much...1

people in general act out of self interest and in line with their community expectations. Republicans are horrible because they're collectively horrible, and their political incentives are all to be horrible. 2
individuals are accountable for their evil, obviously. but Republican incentives and communities actively encourage people to embrace their absolute cruelest and worst impulses, sometimes even over actual self preservation. 3
all of which is to say—the goal of our politics right now is to change those incentives, as much as we can.

the best way to do that is by defeating republicans over and over again until they have to stop being so horrible to win votes.4
but—Cheney and other republicans seeing their incentives shifting is good, and we should encourage that if we can. 5
framing it as "oh their incentives shifted, so it doesn't count if they do good things" seems fundamentally sort of backwards to me? like, we want to shift the incentives so they're less horrible! that's the goal! (or one goal, anyway.) 6
like, Republicans realizing playing footsie with fascism may get them and their loved ones killed and readjusting accordingly to stop fucking with fascists would be really good. 7
or having GOP terrified that their donors will abandon them if they keep fucking with fascism is good. 8

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