Culture, class and fear

It's election night, and while I'm watching results come in, I think about the disappointment of 2020 and 2024. Sure, we've watched Trump be the punchline of jokes for an entire decade now. These days he's talking about strong mens' asses, ballrooms and pools, and nothing about actual problems or challenges that people face. Nothing is surprising about him anymore at this point. What makes me sad is all of the people that have bought into his nonsense. He's a horrible man toward others, a felon, responsible for sexual assault, and a grifter profiting from the presidency. The MAGA crowd just doesn't care.

The culture war nonsense doesn't change record deficit spending. Calling Democrats "elites" doesn't make Trump any less of a billionaire. He lies, but it's OK because he "owns the libs." And if you don't think America sucks the way he says it does, you're not patriotic. The upper class is fine as long as they're racist.

If you look at what the right is selling, these are apparently the things you need to believe to be "conservative:"

• Women are inferior to men, and are not entitled to body autonomy.
• Deficits no longer matter.
• The press is the enemy instead of those holding government accountable.
• It's OK for presidents to berate the people they serve.
• Racism, misogyny and homophobia are fine.
• A nation founded by immigrants should reject immigrants (unless they're white).
• Intellectuals and the educated are not to be trusted.
• Science isn't real.
• Climate science is a hoax.
• You must dislike anyone different than you.
• Separation of church and state is just a suggestion.
• Facts are open to interpretation.
• Democrats and moderate Republicans must be hated.
• Mistrust government, unless it's governed by the right tribe.
• Isolationism is the only patriotism.

I think the American electorate might finally be coming to its senses. All of the above do nothing to move us forward, nothing to improve our lives. I'm not saying that all Republicans are like this, but you're either trying to right your party, or you're complicit in allowing a president be corrupt and self-serving.