Conservative Michael Gerson writes about the damage Trump is inflicting on the GOP in WaPo:
But here is the cost. When there is no objective source of truth — no commonly agreed upon set of facts and rules of argument — political persuasion becomes impossible. There is no reasoned method to choose between one view and another. The only way to settle political disputes is power — determined by screaming mobs or because “I’m president and you’re not.” Politics becomes an endless battle of true believers, conditioned to distrust and dismiss every bit of evidence that does not confirm their preexisting views. The alternative to reasoned discourse is the will to power.
This is the frightening direction of Trumpism. It is the corruption that good men such as White House Chief of Staff John F. Kelly are enabling. And it is a source of enduring shame for many conservatives. “Sycophancy toward those who hold power,” said Bloom, “is a fact in every regime, and especially in a democracy, where, unlike tyranny, there is an accepted principle of legitimacy that breaks the inner will to resist. . . . Flattery of the people and incapacity to resist public opinion are the democratic vices, particularly among writers, artists, journalists and anyone else who is dependent on an audience.”
I don’t know how much Michael has written on this, as I don’t read WaPo much. He is, of course, right, as long time readers know I would say, having written on the effects of such mendacity since Trump won the nomination.
But I do notice Michael doesn’t want to go too far with this. For example, he continues to laud the nomination of Gorsuch to SCOTUS, along with various other judges to Federal seats, with nary a thought as to how Trump’s polluted thought processes may have resulted in the selection of people unfit for their positions – as has been thoroughly documented in a number of places and for a number of those so nominated and, tragically, confirmed.
So while it’s good to see a conservative recognize the long-term ill effects of Trumpism, it’d be good to see them acknowledge all of the problems, and not give those issues they favor a pass.
