**Over the past decade and a half, Republicans have shown disdain for procedural fairness and a willingness to put the pursuit of power over democratic principles. They have implemented measures that make it harder for racial minorities to vote, render votes from Democratic-leaning constituencies irrelevant, and relentlessly blocked Democratic efforts to conduct normal functions of government.

According to Jennifer McCoy, a political scientist at Georgia State University, these measures follow common patterns seen among populist authoritarians who initially win power by electoral means. They tend to pass changes to the electoral system aimed at ensuring “one party dominates government” while also working to marginalize or control “accountability institutions” like the judiciary or oversight watchdogs.

“Many of these leaders are able to do so when they first win a clear majority and then begin to change rules or the constitution to further entrench their advantage and get to supermajorities,” McCoy tells me.

For Republicans, the process of moving toward anti-democracy has taken decades rather than a single election. There was never a single unified GOP plan to lock out Democrats, akin to the way that Fidesz intentionally remade the Hungarian political system after winning the country’s 2010 election. There is no authoritarian plot behind the GOP’s recent maneuvers, and no secret plan to end elections or declare martial law.**
The excerpt from the article above was written September 22.

Since September we have had a national election and the people of this nation chose new federal leadership. Since September the GOP has become more and more out of control while trying to keep control of its power. It's really not even trying to hide its disdain for democratic norms and laws. In other words, It is not Trump - it is the Republican party that is a clear and present danger to the United States. Their white supremacy isn't a problem for them - it's a feature and it is snowballing each and every day.

It needs to be called out, much like this opinion. It doesn't "appear" hostile - it IS hostile. I've long held a belief that I would like to have honest good-faith discussions about policy differences with my center-right friends. I still do.

What I won't do is debate about how much racism and white supremacy is acceptable. What we see happening - this attempted coup (and it really is is about that very thing) - is that the GOP wants to keep racism so they can hold onto power, the very power they came to hold by playing a long ball game over the decades. They are losing and now they are desperate.

My line in the sand: I refuse to debate whether or not White Nationalism - in whatever form - is acceptable. That's not something I can or will forgive and forget.

Going back to the first article I referenced:

We, as a nation, are badly broken. Trump just tore the bloody bandage off to expose it to the world.

&
Raine