The sane need not apply

Not a tough choice, unless you're a Republican

Ihate writing anything about Trump. I hate even thinking about him. I hate his braying voice, the way he stands with that odd forward tilt. I hate his stupid hair hat and the long red tie and the drunk-uncle speeches that manage just enough coherence to incite civil-war fantasies among his dim-bulb fans. I hate that he thinks he’s funny.

And so I dared dream that Nikki Haley might hurt him a little in South Carolina. Of course it wasn’t going to happen. That was like dreaming a high-school varsity squad might win the Super Bowl. Today’s Republicans will not be distracted from their own dream of one-party rule, and their childish conviction that this pie-faced loon from Mar-a-Lago is the one to get them there.

I salute Haley for at least trying to coax a little sanity back to the GOP. Sanity is good. But, like most people who coddled Trump during his ramshackle presidency, she is way too little and way too late. Upset wins do not come from excess caution. She’s recently sharpened her attacks (as the media puts it), but the sharpest spear in the world will not scratch the titanium armor of cultish conviction. These are people who pre-order Trump-branded sneakers, for God’s sake. Trump’s their story, and they’re sticking to it.

Haley says she’ll stay in the game until Super Tuesday. Fine with me. It’s her donors’ money (except for the villainous Koch network, who pulled out last night). No doubt her few other high-rollers can afford the occasional bet on an inside straight. Maybe they hope that by March 5, Trump will have suffered a series of mini-strokes and will have shat himself on stage.  That would be fine with me too. But even then, I’m not sure it would make a difference.