53%??

Let's take a quick and adventurous look at how half of our nation thinks!

In a recent poll, it was revealed that 53% of Republicans preferred Trump to Lincoln. Yes they did:

You.Gov poll shows 53% of Republicans think Trump is greater than Lincoln

It's not all bonkers. Reagan beats him 59% to 41%. The same Reagan who, in his farewell speech as President, urged the nation to accept more immigrants. This poll really is indicative of the swirling toxic mess that the GOP has become over the last few decades.

Less popular than Reagan, but more popular than the President who freed the slaves and saved the country. Imagine that. Throughout his tumultuous scandal-a-day administration, Trump is still amazingly popular with Republicans, who cannot get enough of him. Given how 78% of GOP support the Confederate flag as a symbol of "Southern Pride" it is not entirely surprising they prefer him to Lincoln.

How popular is he? Pretty much since taking residence in the White House, Trump has claimed a 95% GOP approval, according to the usual unnamed poll. The Sharpie Poll? It must be this one:

Actually, this consistently hyped figure is likely when considering former Republicans have left the party because of The Freak Show, leaving it in a more purified state for the grifters and the rubes.

So, looking past the Soviet-style near-100% approval mark, it's clear that T enjoys rampant approval from his progressively regressive GOP base. As an example let's listen in to Exhibit A, a caller to a recent CSPAN show:

Hilarious/Horrifying Trumper call to CSPAN

Oh, how did we ever fall to this lowly state?

Back in the day (pre-Lee Atwater and Karl Rove), the GOP was comprised of three basic groups: Partisans, Ideologues, and Others.

Partisans - Every party has its share of partisans. They will carry the water and do whatever is necessary to advance the party. They don't have much philosophical attachment to anything except advance the party. It is more Tribalism than anything else. It's Us vs. Them. Some might step past the legal line if they could get away with it.

Ideologues - The GOP was renowned for their share of high profile principled ideologues. Think Milton Friedman, Barry Goldwater and St. Reagan. Belief in such values as Fiscal Conservatism, Free Trade, Pro-Business, Maintenance of Law & Order/Rule of Law, Pragmatic Management of Government, Pursuit of Balanced Budgets, Strongly Hawkish Foreign Policy towards Autocratic States, and such were always loudly ballyhooed.

Others -  This category used to be an ambiguous amalgam of subgroups that flitted back and forth between Republican and Democratic parties. "Reagan Democrats". "White Working Class". "Disaffected Union Workers". "Non-College Educated". "Conservative Christians". "Independents". Before the Internet Age, this diverse group was hard to identify, much less motivate for action.

OK, that was then. Let's take a moment to consider why so many Americans continue to defy reality and support Trump. Over the last decade, a small stream of Republicans began leaving the GOP. For the last three years, the stream has widened as former members have become acutely uncomfortable with their old party. Now that the party has purged its people who think independently and morally, GOP is a depot for three basic groups.

1) Nihilists who find laws and rules to be useful only when advancing their own political purposes. This group used to be the Partisans. These are the fine folk who believe that Power and Control are more important than Right over Wrong. Those who follow norms are Losers. This may seem like a horrible conclusion. However, it is a very popular theme amongst DC observers.

2) Reflexive Regressives have taken the place of Ideologues. When Trump conducted his hostile takeover of the Republican Party in 2016, members had a choice. Some became Never Trumpers and joined the stream out of the GOP. Most abandoned whatever principles they may have had and lashed themselves securely to the guy. It's safe to say the guiding philosophical lights of the party have been snuffed out. Milton Friedman? Goldwater? No sir. Russian hawk Reagan? Nope. That school of conservatism is dead. The premier thought leaders in the GOP are found foaming on Fox State News and Hate Radio. And these people have no principles except to their own bottom line. Truth for them is extremely relative.

3) Deplorables are the new Others. As Trump loudly spoke in racist and misogynist terms, he galvanized racists and bigots. He said what they thought. He celebrated the resentful "poorly educated." He called for a Muslim registry and a complete Muslim ban from entering the country. When he made an alliance with top evangelists, their followers were told Trump was a vessel of the Lord. "God works through this imperfect man." Of course He does. When one is convinced that God is on your side, there is no bottom to what is accepted and promoted. The Lord works in mysterious ways, all right.

Barf me out. What a bunch of phony grifters.

The GOP has become so bad that it celebrates when WAR CRIMINALS are pardoned. Why? Because these are tough men who were put in bad places to protect our country -- like sniper shooting unarmed and defenseless Muslim girls and old men. And killing/desecrating an enemy combatant and posting pictures. When Trump pardoned three Navy Seals for having conducted this egregious and murderous conduct, charges brought against them by their own team members, he was cheered. He even suggested he'd bring them along to appear at his campaign rallies!! It's a degradation of U.S. military values, but nothing matters when you've got the Lord's vessel working for you, so who cares?

It really is a political party that has pursued Power Politics for so long that it has completely lost its way. And the leader it has is so obsessed with himself that he cannot lead, beyond saving his own skin. There is no moral compass. There is no moral imperative at play. What is left are the Left Behinds who have "raptured" themselves into their Members Only club. It's a party that has much power at this moment. The Electoral College gives them a huge advantage. Maybe they can extend it somewhat over the next few years. But within ten years, this carnival will have left town and few will admit to having been a part of it. The main question is, then, how can the GOP positively evolve from this point on? Magic Eight-Ball, what say you?

Wow, what a rant this has been. Let's end again with the useful quote from former Bush communications staffer and speechwriter David Frum. In writing about the possibilities of Trump's win and the rise of an authoritarian state, he stated this chilling thought:

"If conservatives become convinced that they cannot win democratically, they will not abandon conservatism. They will reject democracy."  

When people abandon Rules, it's easy to figure what happens next. William Goldman certainly knew this. So did George Orwell. Democracy is fragile and needs constant tending. The alternative is having the Boot on your neck for the rest of your life.