When You've Lost The Washington Examiner...

My title is partly in jest: Despite being a conservative outlet, the Examiner has pleasantly surprised me more than once by being critical of Donald Trump, as it has this morning.

There, Dan Hannan begins a piece titled "Donald Trump Is Losing His Mind" with the following question:

Imagine it was someone other than President Donald Trump. Suppose a different leader were posting deranged rants in the small hours, insulting the spiritual leader of 1.3 billion Catholics, threatening entire civilizations with annihilation, and comparing himself to God. What would be the reaction? [bold added]

Hannan gives the correct answer and contrasts it to what each party is doing today, en route to arguing that Trump is losing what little self-control he had to begin with.

It's the kind of question whose absence I have long wondered about, given that it could have and should have been applied long ago to other aspects of Trump's fitness for office, such as his ignorance, lack of intelligence, and dishonesty. Hannan does at least open the door for exactly that later on:

What chess move, after all, requires picking a quarrel with the pope? The only conceivable answer might be that Trump is engaging in prestidigitation, fabricating a row to distract from something worse. What, though, could be worse? Is he worried that voters will suddenly wake up to the ways in which he and his associates have been enriching themselves in office? That there will be a belated interest in the favors sought from foreign governments, the digital currency boondoggles, the consultants offering access for cash, and the acceptance of a private jet from a Gulf state? Or does he fret about the fate of his Hungarian ally, Viktor Orban, hammered by voters last week after rising concerns about his autocratic style and the enrichment of his cronies? [bold added]

Good, and more of that please. Part of why nobody is asking such questions lies within the preceding paragraph:

Even now, a residual MAGA base will cheer the president unconditionally. At an event in Texas last week, I made a slighting reference to Trump's tendency to insult U.S. allies. Afterward, a perfectly charming couple spoke to me in a succession of MAGA clichés, like online Russian bots made flesh: "He's playing chess while you're playing checkers," "He's smarter than his critics," "Where do you get your news from, the New York Times?" I can't help noticing, though, that such people are fewer than they were a year ago. [bold added]

Knowing my fair share of people who, before Trump came along, would have been ... circumspect ... about openly espousing beliefs they should be embarrassed to hold at all, I wouldn't say that there are fewer such people. Rather, Trump's very public disintegration will gradually make more and more people realize how foolish they look standing by the dumpster fire they worship.

Perhaps such a cowing of the base is what America will need for each party to become less frightened of doing the sane thing, given how timid politicians are.

There is risk: J.D. Vance is waiting in the wings, and the Democrats are no more sane than they once were. The immediate future is not great.

I also see nobody on the horizon from either party capable of being nominated, winning the general, and governing well. Our best hope is for the Trump Presidency to go down as a high water mark of nuttiness and our nation to muddle through long enough for the culture to improve. But Trump has already severely reduced the likelihood of even that scenario.

-- CAV