The G.O.P. Is Now a Personality Cult

[Zorro]

The tragedy of today’s Republican Party lies partly in how far it has tumbled from its heights.

This is the party of Lincoln and Theodore Roosevelt. It is the party that built interstate highways, championed family planning, founded the Environmental Protection Agency, opened relations with China, confronted the Soviet Union and managed the collapse of Communism.

It is the party that under Ronald Reagan welcomed refugees. It is the party of men who exemplified decency like George H.W. Bush and adherence to a moral compass like John McCain.

At a rally in 2008, McCain corrected a questioner who called Barack Obama untrustworthy and an “Arab.” “No, ma’am,” McCain told the crowd. “He’s a decent family man, citizen, that I just happen to have disagreements with on fundamental issues.”

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/07/20/opinion/sunday/republicans-united-states.html

[JudyM]

1. I'd like to know how McConnell has such power over them.

Does he just feed them a steady diet of “we can get away with xyz if we stick together” or what?!
Likely coupled with some kind of implicit bribe to keep them getting elected. Wonder how much control he and his back office team actually have over the administration of elections/vote counting. Quantifying that would be the best journalistic exposé in our history.