One thing I would point out is that there is a very small number of Republicans who are blocking the important reforms which have been put before them. And I'm going to name name: Susan Collins of Maine, John McCain of Arizona, and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska. These three senators are all responsible for the defeat of the ACA reform bill, the budget, and every other Republican-backed initiative to reduce government. Because these three side with the Democrats, the "Republican-in-name-only) majority in the Senate quickly flips to 51-49 Democrat (and Mitch McConnell doesn't help).

I don't buy the hyperbole that ALL Republicans are to blame. Let's put it where it squarely belongs: on a very small contingent in the Senate. And add in there every single Democrat obstructionist.

I strongly agree with this article. I don't have parts to highlight; I'd highlight it all.

The article rightly says Republicans give lip service to small gov't, but it's hard to find cases of them actually executing on that.

At the same time, their fringe rednecks have gone mainstream:
- Rejection of the concept of facts/reality, like a less-intellectual form of post-modernism
- Bigotry
- Disrespect for the law
- Anti-intellectualism
- Crass behavior
- Mean-spirited attitude
- Victim thinking
- Being easily offended while accusing everyone else of being easily offended
- Conspiracy thinking, often in transparently self-serving ways

Most Republicans probably aren't in this group, but they have to go through logical contortions to make the rednecks seems like something other than what they are. We end up with a just-so stories where powerful pro-gov't conspiracies are engaged in complex machinations and disregarding the law and big gov't are head fakes in a complicated strategy. At some point, though, you've got to admit if year after year spending goes up and borrowing goes up, there's no complex chess game. Usually (not always) the simplest explanation is correct. Republicans have been a loose coalition between libertarians, religious statists, and redneck idiots, and the redneck element has become impossible to ignore.

Republicans typically say this redneck thing, esp the bigotry, is a media narrative. They say education has primed people to look for bigotry everywhere, and with that foundation the media can pick the right sound bites to make anyone look bigoted. Okay, so maybe I've been duped. But we all have to go with our own judgment, and mine says Republicans like President Trump are masters at getting attention by flirting with racism, sexism, and all forms of bigotry. It's the stuff the people in all aspects of my life steer clear of. You hear someone appears sensitive about something, and you just avoid it, unless you're a jerk or someone who stirs the pot. The Republican are the master of seeing someone's upset, and the blowing the dogwhistle in just the right way to bother someone with issues and fire up some lowlifes who feel like victims of the world and this is their chance to hurt someone else for a change, via vicarious bullying. I find it contemptible.

So as I read this article, I thought people like me are the elephant in the room. There are more of us disgusted by the redneck act than will abide it. That's why Clinton, who is not an esp popular or charismatic figure, got 3M votes more than Trump. Republicans can't count on the electoral college to break in the favor. It can go either way. It won't help with Congress, state, or local offices.

I think their rednecks are a real problem. They could easily support a redneck figure promising handouts. There is no reason I see they can't be sold on gov't handouts, if the sales job is done right. What Mitt Romney said was true. It's an uphill battle arguing to cut spending because most people do not pay income taxes. I think they've created a monster. It's easy to envision a handout-offering Bernie Sanders, mixed with nationalism, veiled bigotry, anti-intellectualism, victim resentment, some religion, a smattering of convenient scapegoats, and we have a real monster on our hands.

Republicans seem to think they've got the redneck idiots locked up, so this could never happen. They don't see how close they are to people want free college, paid leave to care for sick kids and aging parents, some kind of a guarantee they can find a good job, free healthcare, help saving for retirement, benefits for kids who tragically lose a parent, free nursing home care, free food for people who've legitimately fallen on hard time.

I feel like I can approach this with some objectivity because even though I'm registered Democrat, I don't really have a dog in the fight. I don't benefit if they win. I only benefit if the gov't gets out of my life and I send in less in quarterlies and can give money to my colleagues instead of to EFTPS.

Sorry I wrote a rant longer than the OP article. Cripes. :)