Well, Andrew, though you’re one of my favorite pundits, I’m going to try and counter your point a bit. First off this anti democratic trend within the GOP didn’t start with the Donald. He is just the cherry on top of the nightmare. The foundation of this despicable political situation started back when Newt Gingrich made common cause with Roger Ailes of Fox News to counter the demographic trend of minorities that was running against GOP interests.
On behalf of super rich donors that saw democracy as an impediment to them ripping off America, the plan was to implement a xenophobic campaign to round up the nation’s disaffected, silly, naive, uninformed and just plain racist citizens — fear and hatred being the most powerful of unifying agents — under a single Republican banner supported by Fox and the rest of the right wing media. There are big bucks to be made throwing red meat to the animals — viewers and listeners of such propaganda.
It worked, so that by the time that Trump came seriously upon the political stage the skids were well greased for a dictatorial personality to take over the government, particularly after the forces of evil having used Obama’s two presidential terms to whip up racist fever.
But it is my contention here to say that the tide of hate taking over America has already peaked. When observing social and political trends think of them as a great ocean wave rolling up a long, low sloping beach. When the wave first breaks upon the sand it is composed of an enormous volume of water, but just before it reaches the apex of its upward penetration of the sand it is only inches deep, the balk of the water having already rushed back into the sea. Too often when pundits look at trends they are watching the final rush, not realizing that what was behind the trend has already dissipated.
You say that the midterm numbers are nothing special when compared to other midterms. When, however, one looks inside the numbers they are very special. There is a revolution getting into high gear as to who it is coming into government, in this case the house. It is a massive influx of minorities the young and women. This is the real future of our nation, not Trump’s old guys.
Sure it can look terriying for those who understand how democracies work, and how would-be dictators attack demacracy Trump’s wise. But the people and our institutions are fighting back. Trump is under constant attack not only by our free press, but droves of retired military, CIA, FBI, federal prosecutors, Republican moderates and every major late night comedians are forcefully speaking out, determined that Trump and his ilk not prevail.
When Hitler made his bid to take over Germany in the 1930’s he had but the tiniest of opposition compared with what Trump and his supporters face at present. Mueller and the Democratic House are but the tip of national opposition to dictatorship. Moreover, those House numbers really are special.
