The "conservative" faction, or whatever they would now call their dysfunctional alliance, once thought that their main stressor was the "Tea Party" movement that sowed insurrectionist annoyance in the House of Representatives. The self proclaimed adherents to that movement shut down the government and forced the removal of House Speaker John Boehner. But little did the GOP realize that it would wind up facing self destructive chaos from a quite different kind of Tea Party. In this case, the current head of the GOP ticket going into the US Presidential election resembles nothing so much as the Mad Hatter's gathering in "Through the Looking Glass." In that fictional escapade, all the rules of decorum were stood on end and the proceeding was led by a buffoon with a pretense of power who arbitrarily spouted nonsense and dictated the course of events without seeming grasp of reality or respect for the attendees, with especial rudeness to the female attendee, Alice. Those around him seemed caught between trying to comply with his erratic behavior and at the same time trying to figure out what in the heck he was doing and would do next. That appears to be strikingly similar to the current GOP "Tea Party."
In just the past week, the GOP Nominee [no longer "presumptive" and now just "presumptuous"] has danced with treason by suggesting that foreign powers should spy upon and meddle in US electoral politics, attacked a Gold Star family publicly, demeaned the value of Purple Hearts awarded to military honorees wounded in service, suggested that he has known "sacrifice" through his dealings that involved defrauding and failing to pay contractors and suppliers on his real estate projects and declaring bankruptcy so that he could be come wealthy at their expense, publicly snubbed the current Speaker of the House, suggested that everyone in the GOP may be idiots by blaming all criticism against his actions on his opponent -Hillary Clinton, when even the most simple minded can see that the trouble emanates from the GOP candidates own mouthy and actions. And that is just this WEEK!
Newt Gingrich, the GOP master of rhetorical legerdemain and dissembling apologia, acknowledged that the GOP Nominee had no chance of winning the general election pursuing the course he is on. No matter how "unacceptable" the GOP may try to paint Clinton, their candidate would seem to the public a worse option.
Balanced non-partisan observers have questioned the GOP Nominee's fitness and temperament for the Office of President, citing his remarkably thin skin and his seeming inability to withhold a knee jerk response when criticized or attacked. That behavior is reminiscent of Marty McFly in the movie "Back to the Future" when he was challenged as "yellow" or potentially a coward. The response was invariably ill advised and led to far more trouble than if the slight had simply been ignored.
This might all be very entertaining, but for the very real consequences of seriously engaging in consideration of placing a mad person in the Oval Office. Just as the Hatter seemed to have no concept of civility, time or the workings of things -such as his watch- the GOP Nominee seems eerily similar in many respects. Then there is the veritable March Hare, in the guise of Paul Manafort who tries ineffectually to rationalize the madness. And rather than bother to clean up any mess the Hatter makes, the response is just to keep moving to the next place, where the rudeness, incivility and chaos continues to create additional messiness.
