Owning the Libs

The few Republicans who still care about anything but the whims of Donald Trump are not welcome in the world of MAGA/NTC.  They are witnessing the perils of basing your politics on "owning the libs." "Owning the libs" usually means useless impeachment hearings and politicians who are only trying to get TV time.  We can only look forward to a Trump revenge tour, where score-settling is the only real goal. 

The obsession with owning the libs can be seen in the prioritization of style over substance. Mark Levin has made a career out of being rude and insulting instead of serious. Trump has chosen to emulate this cheap combativeness, and add to it Sean Hannity's habit of relying on ad hominem attacks.  Instead of regarding name calling and insults as a cheap distraction from real debate, MAGA/NTC loves this kind of puerile politics. 

Next is the subject of Trump's weird cult of personality. Like all of the most dangerous political leaders in history (Julius Caesar, Napoleon, Hitler), Trump claims to be the only one who can solve his nation's problems. The idea that Trump is more than an ordinary man has allowed him to dispense with ordinary conservative beliefs on free trade, foreign policy and the rule of law. They have been replaced with protectionism,sympathy for Russian Communism, and a studied disregard for the legal responsibilities of the presidency. Trump improperly used Ukraine aid for leverage, and fired Jeff Sessions for prosecuting Republican criminals. January 6,2021, the Save America Riot, was perhaps the worst abuse of a president's constitutional responsibility and grossest dereliction of duty in American history. In perhaps the most nauseating insult to the rule of law imaginable, nominated Matt Gaetz,an ignorant political hack, to be Attorney General. This whole catalog of poor character and recklessness is obviously not even considered by the millions of Americans who still support him. Estase doesn't know if there's any skullduggery Trump could even do that would convince the right-wing media industry to stop carrying water for him. 

The right-wing media industry also doesn't care about the times when Trump's agenda contradicted conservative public policy. Trump wanted Paul Ryan out of public life so badly he fought for Pelosi and Schumer's budget priorities in Ryan's last budget. Last summer Republicans could have gotten everything they had asked for in the last ten years if Trump hadn't ordered them to squander the chance. 

The right-wing media industry loves to denigrate people like Liz Cheney, Mitt Romney and Joe Scarborough because they reject the false gospel of MAGA/NTC. For those with no principles, pique or personal grudge is a handy explanation for the actions of those who actually have principles. At some point right-wing politics will have to be about more than lies, conspiracy theories and owning the libs.