I don't think Tom is helpless
That's part of what makes me so mad.
I think he's capable of much deeper thought than he exhibits.
When I see the same subject in his post and in the king of the reactionaries' letter to the editor in my local paper, on the same day, not just once but often, I come to believe that the dittoheads have received their Talking Point of the Week from their media outlets. I think Tom has a finer mind than that, if only he would use it. He probably wouldn't agree with me anyway, but that's not the point.
No wonder he thinks 18-year-olds are easy to persuade.