From Album 6

Still there, but fainter…like a star that’s long dead but so far away we haven’t seen it go out yet…David Brooks issues yet another plea for a GOP candidate who’s not a total embarrassment, somehow oblivious to the fact that total embarrassment is the core and essence of today’s GOP (Palin endorsing Trump a particularly painful example).

Ha — Brooks’ could have called his sad little op-ed “Where Have You Gone, Jeb (Jeb!) DiMaggio, The Allegedly Sane Wing Of The Party Turns Its Lonely Eyes To You” (emphasis on “allegedly sane”). Well…you reap what you sow. It’s been over a generation since the allegedly sane wing of the GOP made a Faustian deal with the crazy base, using simple slogans (Government is the problem) and a large helping of hatred towards all things librul, to bring them into the fold. But, goddamn, the crazy base has…gone crazy (rogue?), tossing Jeb! aside, and cozying up to Trump and Cruz instead.

The Reagan coalition is now the political equivalent of the Flint municipal water supply — toxic soup.  Figures: “limited government” is rhetorical bullshit. It was always about placating the crazy base with promises of hippie punching/general authoritarian hatred…and government funded goodies (especially via defense or security contracts) for the well connected. But now the crazy base has thrown a monkey wrench into the works.

Good — as long as it’s confined to the GOP. Lord knows what kind of damage would result if they somehow got their hands on the Executive Branch…