"But are the American people deeply divided? Or have Trump and his MAGA supporters driven the Republican Party off the rails?"
Is there an either/or here? The statements are not mutually exclusive. But I'd use a different metaphor.
Racist right wing religious extremists did not swallow the elephant whole. They ate it bite by bite before $#!tt!ng it out in their own image. A Trump presidency.
Meanwhile, big money donors who'd distanced themselves from Trump after Jan 6, are now back in the fold. Mitch McConnell is again hedging his bets on Trump. In anticipation, Leonard Leo is pouring millions into Project 2025. MAGA depends on true believers for whom Trump himself is transformational, opportunists for whom Trump is instrumental for the GOP agenda,, and those for whom a Trump win is irrelevant to their priorities.
Excellent point, lin -- the perception is what's winning, not reality. American people disagree about some things but are not in arms about them, understanding that dialog and compromise are better than obstructionism and impromptu recesses.
"But are the American people deeply divided? Or have Trump and his MAGA supporters driven the Republican Party off the rails?"
Is there an either/or here? The statements are not mutually exclusive. But I'd use a different metaphor.
Racist right wing religious extremists did not swallow the elephant whole. They ate it bite by bite before $#!tt!ng it out in their own image. A Trump presidency.
Meanwhile, big money donors who'd distanced themselves from Trump after Jan 6, are now back in the fold. Mitch McConnell is again hedging his bets on Trump. In anticipation, Leonard Leo is pouring millions into Project 2025. MAGA depends on true believers for whom Trump himself is transformational, opportunists for whom Trump is instrumental for the GOP agenda,, and those for whom a Trump win is irrelevant to their priorities.
Your description of the creation of the last presidency is SPOT ON!!
Excellent point, lin -- the perception is what's winning, not reality. American people disagree about some things but are not in arms about them, understanding that dialog and compromise are better than obstructionism and impromptu recesses.