But what we're seeing now is not just some form of extortion, possibly based on violence.

No, I think its all based on self-interest. Republicans publicly love Trump (even if they privately loathe him) because they know that gives them immediate access to the loyalty of almost half the American electorate. Its an advantage that almost guarantees victory, at least in the primaries.

All politicians tend to pander to voting blocs, but I never imagined so many American politicians could so shamelessly abandon their principles just to get an edge on an election opponent, especially one from their own party. And what terrifies me is that this may not be just a Republican perversion. I fear that Democrats, given the same temptation, will be just as likely to succumb to it. As football coach Vince Lombardi once put it; "Winning isn't everything, it's the only thing." And America is a country that has always seen that attitude as a virtue, not as a pathology.

Even if Trumpism is soundly defeated, could we now become vulnerable to some form of doctrinaire Stalinist, disguised as a Democratic Socialist? Yeah, I know. Modern Conservatives claim ALL Liberals are like that, when in truth, it is the Fascist Right that has now provided the precedent. I used to think Democrats would be able to stand up to a populist, unscrupulous Leftist gone-too-far that had highjacked their party, but now I'm not so sure.