1. It's not just your imagination: the GOP's dangerous, delusional behavior is getting worse. From calling Big Bird a communist to Gosar's assassination video, the party continues its descent into violent, authoritarian extremism. Here's why that's happening—and what it means:
2. Power always has an irresistible magnetism for certain kinds of people. They're power-hungry. But that tendency can be mediated by systems and political cultures. Good systems and cultures attract more decent people. Bad systems/cultures attract and promote more awful people.
3. The GOP has created an atrocious system with an even worse political culture. When people stand up to autocratic behavior (like Liz Cheney), they're punished. When they vote to fund infrastructure, they're condemned. When they promote horrific political violence...crickets.
4. That warped behavior is amplified by two key factors: gerrymandering/uncompetitive districts and party primaries. Most members of Congress come from lopsided districts. They won't lose a general election. But they could get dethroned from power in a competitive primary.
5. That means the treadmill toward authoritarian extremism just grows faster over time. The party goes further, the base becomes radicalized (with the help of Fox News/OAN/Newsmax), the candidate panders to the base to avoid a primary challenger from the right. Rinse, repeat.
6. So, how do you stop the treadmill? The voters won't do it in these districts; they *want* the extremists to be extremists. There are therefore two possible fixes: the GOP leadership starts punishing extremists (yeah, right) or Democrats reform the system to amplify competition
7. This isn't just about Gosar. It's about the Gosars-to-come. As I argue in CORRUPTIBLE, we've designed our systems/political cultures to act like magnets for the Gosars of the world. They're irresistibly drawn to power—and the GOP is welcoming the worst people with open arms.
8. There's no quick fix. But we have to face reality. This isn't about one extremist Congressman. It's about a party that attracts, promotes, and rewards extremists. And until that changes, the treadmill to crazy authoritarian extremism will just keep running, faster and faster.
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