The GOP has been on a very orchestrated march towards Authoritarianism since the 90's. Since the beginning of the zone I have pointed out that the GOP was headed to this point.

Mitt "Corporations are people too" Romney would have done nothing to stop it...

Seriously, Buck- THINK about it...

ANYTHING that gives the GOP power will accelerate the March to fascism. Any GOP president MUST get the insane wing of the base to vote for him in order to win.... that means they will pander to the lunatic fringe- they HAVE to in order to win. That will lend the lunatic fringe more credibility, more power and hasten the day of Authoritarianism.

The GOP must be destroyed and remade into a new party that rejects the lunatic fringe... that will mean a long losing spell as the lunatic fringe dies off- it never will, of course, because right wing media will create a new generation.

You don't fight a party of bigoted Nazis by electing one of the good and less-bigoted Nazis.

If Romney had won in 2012, then sure - Trump would likely not have won in 2016, instead the authoritarians would have solidified their positions of power withing the government... so when Trump, or -more likely and more dangerous- a smarter wannabe dictator came along, they would have corrupted more of the guardrails that protect our democracy.

There are clear lines here- the GOP is the party of white supremacists and neo-nazis... that is simply a fact. Sure you can point to some 'good ones', but if the 'good one' gains power the white supremacists and neo-nazis get to come along on the ride.

When there are 2 parties, and one has violent white supremacists in it, decent, and thinking human beings must stand in opposition to it- decent people do not support one of the 'good ones' simply so they can pat themselves on the back and smugly feel enlightened because they can see the merits of 'both sides'...