As an Aussie, and as someone who listens to you on the Bulwark with much respect… I’d like to know how republicans let fascists take over your party… how did you let that happen? And you can’t blame democrats as they have no control over your party, only republicans can answer for that!
They had the (political) wisdom to (performatively) shun extremists at the federal level, but lacked the fortitude to shun them locally. That would have cost them the power the extremist votes afforded them. The extremists used radio & religion to influence & eventually outgrew leadership.
Not sure how one stops it. If a majority of primary voters vote for the extremist candidates, then the extremist wins the nomination. The party leadership believes 'the people have spoken'. And that's the worst part. Too many voters actually did want this. (Or, not enough voters cared to stop it.)
My hot take: It was because opposition to abortion replaced limiting the scope and power of the federal government as the central organising principle of the Republican party. It happened as and in part because the old base of white collar professionals was replaced by poorly-educated populists...
...with the end result that that base grew to see politics as holy war – and to see anyone not on board with their agenda as champions of evil rather than fellow citizens who disagree about priorities and/or how best to achieve them.
Yes religion is a huge part of it! I’ve never understood though how deeply religious people can also be deeply racist. White male supremacy is a huge part of being republican & why they’re trying to evict all the brown people or restrict their vote. Maybe it’s the same thing… Christian nationalism?
That's a strain of it, but far from the whole picture. And honestly I don't think things would be as bad as they are now were it not for COVID – that led to (or accelerated, depending on whom you ask) a "crank realignment" where a lot of left-ish nutjobs switched parties.
Not just voters, but folks like RFK Jr. and Tulsi Gabbard. Why? Because thanks to Trump the GOP had become a haven for everybody who wasn't just sceptical of this or that group of experts, but loathed the notion of expertise as such. Personality cults are as kind to cooks as they are to grifters.
Totally! My goodness how to undo this mess! I hope you work it out for the sake of the rest of the world. I mean only 48% of all voters elected Trump so not all is lost! Americans may not realise how all of our safety and well being, even in Australia, is dependent on a sane person leading USA!
Well. We elected a Black man prez for 8 years and it broke their brains. Check DC Mall in 2009. Then the Christian Right built up its organizations, came out against abortion and became a cult. I knew conservatives from long ago. They wanted lower taxes, smaller govt. and supported PP. 🤷♀️
[Summons best Dago Red Mulcahy priestly voice] There were votes in it.
This is also part of the mess, side-to-side to Citizens United & unlimited dark money influx, both domestic & foreign. bsky.app/profile/wilh...
With the dark money influx aggravated by not taxing the rich, yet again both domestic and foreign. (note that DJT-2 also cancelled US-commitment to a 15% minimum corporate tax) Aggravated^2 by even less taxing the relifascist corporations/megachurches in USA.
(NB: the only (currently) working unroll of the original Twitter thread follows #27/27 ('#7/7A & #7/7B')) Also crucial is #50/50, links to both Evangelical Rapture horror-docu's 'Praying for Armageddon', BBC/2023 (Dutch: 'Bidden voor het Einde', EO/2025), 1.5h total; infestation of military & LEO's
Probably no one will love me for this take, but I grew up with these people and have lived with them all of my life, and IME many Rs are inherently racist. Having a Black man as their president was more than they could take. It drove a whole bunch of them right out of their minds.
You are 100% correct. @stuartpstevens.bsky.social www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/623807...
Seems to be the only logical reason for what’s going on in US right now, the whole world sees it but it looks like it’s going to take a long time for some of the ex-republicans to come to terms with it. Until then they’ll blame the democrats using abuser mentality: “Look what you made me do to you!”
As a Dane the same question is hunting me. I wish Tom Nichols would write an article to explain. If he already did, I missed it.
Well, for one thing, the Heritage Foundation, who wrote Project 2025, has been working toward this since the 1980’s. Then came the “Tea Party” faction of the Republican Party. Poor education systems, especially in the South, and FoxNews and other right wing news channels and radio shows.
Yep, their plan for destroying children's education worked so well in the South, they're now bringing it to the rest of the country. Who needs schools? Leave it to the churches. Ditto healthcare.
