[Steve_Seattle]

"The GOP is a machine that harnesses ethno-nationalistic fear — of communists, criminals, matrimonial gays, terrorists, snooty cultural elites — to win elections and then, once in office, caters to its wealthy donor base."

So we should not fear criminals and terrorists? Does "Jonathan" like snobs? (Yes, he IS one.) Do not liberals also fear certain social groups whose values they do not share? (Yes.)

As for "communists," that word is not heard very often in today's political debates, on either side. But - since he brought it up - does precious little "Jonathan" think there is nothing to fear from communism, with its millions of victims?

Jonathan Chait is a silly, highly overpaid man, who is basically paid for the farts that come out of his mouth.

[lentulusgracchus]

Jonathan Chait is a silly, highly overpaid man, who is basically paid for the farts that come out of his mouth

I can't get over that one.

Arnold [that's "Ahhnuld"] is the only template we have for a Trump presidency, and a President Trump will likely govern much as Arnold did.

Well, not quite. Ahnuld was sleeping with one of the Kennedy girls, and she appears to have dominated him intellectually and politically, making him over from Republican-Lite to full-bull Liberal Democrat, even a Prog, to judge by the spittle running down Chait's chin.

The bigger problem with Trump is his zest for winging it and lack of consistent principles to guide him. As long as suggestions of his "swinging door" style keep cropping up in bleats and tweets, it will continue to be a real worry for conservatives, that Trump is just paying lip service to conservative ideas to bullswoggle his way into the White House in a nominally Republican year.