Spectacle

It's a spectacle all right and hard not to look at maybe too much.  But it also does seem to be history, with an uncertain ending.

So a few links for the record.

The most recent Republican candidate debate led to such headlines as Donald Trump Makes His Penis a Campaign Issue (NBC News) and A National Descent Into Trump's Pants (New York Times.)

Analyses of the debate and apparent Republican self-destruction that historians may consult would include this one and this Amy Davidson at the New Yorker.  One or another of these stories mentions that some 50 audience members for this debate had to be ejected for being drunk and/or disorderly.

Saturday's caucuses made things worse in the sense that GOPer establishment is probably left with two equally horrifying choices, Trump or Tail Gunner Ted.  The Old GOPer's newly laconic comedian Sen. Lindsay Graham once quipped, it's the choice between being shot or poisoned.

The last two GOPer nominees--McCain and Romney--both called this year's frontrunner Trump a dangerous fraud and con man. As do rivals Cruz and Rubio. Trump calls Cruz a liar, and Rubio a lightweight. And I pause to point out, these are all Republicans talking about their candidates (and each other.)

  But this New York Times piece is pretty definitive on the likelihood that what GOP establishment pros want no longer matters.  GOPer voters want Trump.

Trump on Saturday tried to goad Rubio and Kasich into dropping out so he could go one on one with Cruz, whose winning streak doesn't look like it's going to continue--unless Trump is really wounded.  Trump called the prospect of facing Cruz alone "fun."

Trump continues to inspire commentators to new writing heights, as in this piece by Charles Blow about Trump the demagogue.  And my continuing comparison of the rise of Trump to the rise of Hitler finally made the Washington Post and Slate and the top of the Google news feed.  Oh wait, not me.  Some comedian named Louis C.K.  And some other newbies.

Even though Republicans are falling over each other to predict their electoral destruction, the Big Money behind them is set to be unleashed in favor of congressional and state government candidates, and in loud tons of negative ads against Hillary.

Oh, and it turns out that in 1927 Trump's father was probably marching with the KKK.  Different wall to build (in the vicinity of the Statue of Liberty) and different era of people to hate, like Catholics and Italians and Poles and those kind of immigrants.  Like my mother.  And Anthony Scalia's father.

Update comment on Sunday Dem debate: I'm not watching but following the NYTimes live blog, and getting the impression that Bernie is sometimes being dismissive and aggressive towards Hillary.  It will be interesting to see how this plays with voters--in view of what's likely to come from Trump in the general. Update Update: So far it's not playing well with these folks.