The way our news media reports it, Trumpism took over the Republican Party quite suddenly – like a terrorist hijacking an airplane. Prior to that? The GOP was an honest actor, holding up its end of the greatest experiment ever in human self-government. Don’t blame the poor GOP for what Trump and Trumpism have done to it! But Trumpism couldn’t have taken over the GOP so easily if the GOP hadn’t been as willing and compliant. The GOP went from hating Trump (looking at YOU, Lindsey Graham), to being his willing, compliant bitch. And just like “that”, too! What the hell is driving that willingness and compliance?

The GOP’s Base Base

The GOP would say it’s their base and they’re absolutely right. Trump didn’t bring “something new” to the Grand Old Party’s party. Trump gave permission to something old – the GOP’s fascist core. He gave it permission to go hog wild.

Take this to the bank: the GOP didn’t suddenly just turn fascist. They’ve been headed there for a century at least. Hell, American fascists (the Ku Klux Klan) inspired Hitler before Hitler inspired American fascists.

Republicans, by nature, love demagogues. Barry Goldwater… Richard Nixon… Ronald Reagan… and now Donald Trump. Demagogues don’t govern, they lord. And the last thing they want is democracy interfering with them.

The GOP’s Problem With Democracy

From a Republican perspective, the problem with democracy is democracy. Letting people vote is a crap shoot unless you know for sure they’re going to vote for you. That’s why Republicans spend far more time and energy gerrymandering voting districts and finding ways to screw voters out of their votes. If Republicans thought they could sell their ideas to American voters and win their votes that way, they’d do it. The majority of American voters do not want what the GOP has for sale: America’s racist, misogynist, bigoted past.

Fascism comes easy to nativists. They love the mashup of power, money and dogmatic religion. The power has always been theirs. They resent the very idea of having to share it. And having to share it with diverse Americans who don’t look, act or think like them? Entirely out of the question.

Nativism Run Amok

Nixon’s southern strategy brought Southern Democrats into the Republican fold, solidifying the GOP’s transition from the Party of Lincoln into The Great White Hope. As the Reagan “Revolution” waned, the Right Wing Money (the Kochs, the Mercers) saw diversity speeding at them far faster than they’d expected. They understood what parts of the government they’d need to keep democracy at bay and slowly roll it back.

The Right Wing Money bought itself a Supreme Court. The citizens uniting were all corporate citizens. Money plus power. Religion would become the emotional engine driving it all. And could a cynical bunch of authoritarian shits have found better partners than the Christian fundamentalists and evangelicals? Doubtful.

Been Here Before

In her terrific podcast “Ultra”, Rachel Maddow tells the story of how a group of elected Republican members of Congress – acting in concert with Fascist Germany – tried to destroy America’s democracy even as the Second World War raged! Republicans, it seems, aren’t down with this “democracy thing”.

Alas “End Democracy” is never on the ballot though Republicans seem to think it is. This isn’t a new development – Republicans turning to “other means” (in other words cheating) to win election. Apparently neither is treason.