Been going back into the archives of events NTers have done (most recently, @TheRickWilson and @davidfrum, and let me tell you, it's making me even more angry to know there are many, many people who will paint every Republican who left the party with a broad brush.

I don't know how some people (including many I know on this app) can read anything @TheRickWilson says regarding political strategy and think, "Fuck him, he's only gonna go back to the Republicans after Trump's gone."

Folks, we ought to be thanking GOD he's with us.

I myself am a former RWer, as most of y'all know. I've been a registered Democrat for over 10 years now.

And yeah, I've internalized a bit of the criticism NTers get from gold star Democratic voters, because I know some of y'all would have treated me the same way.

I don't get it.

Some of you look at former conservatives with scorn and distrust, as if uprooting yourself from the political worldview you've likely known since first becoming politically aware and the community you've built within said worldview is such an easy choice.

I am the oldest of 5 sons in a nuclear Black, evangelical Christian family.

BOTH of my parents, and ALL FOUR of my brothers support, love, and voted for Donald Trump, and have been loyal RWers as long as I've been of voting age.

I mostly AVOID political conversations now.

For me (and most NTers), ending the Right's grip on power in this country is personal.

@ContentedIndie down in the great Commonwealth of Virginia has recounted stories of what these rabid Trump supporters did to people WITHIN the Republican Party.

Abusive, monstrous actions.

"Gold Star" liberals love to make fun and say this might have been an act of Republican aristocrats fleeing the party after falling out of favor with the commoners, but guys, make no mistake about it.

Trumpists carried out a full-scale purge of the party.

There is absolutely NO going back home for NTers, because they don't have a home to go to.

There's no moderating force in the Republican Party anymore; what you're indeed seeing is this "purified", unredacted, unbridled Right-wing kakistocracy.

The people who run that party now ARE the said kakistocracy.

These are people who committed outright, violent acts against people who weren't orthodox in their adoration for the Supreme Leader, and don't particularly care about conservative principles or anything like that.

ALL these people care about is sticking it to EVERYONE they had grievances with, and white supremacy.

The people who make up the Right now are obsessed with rubbing it in everyone's faces that they're in charge now, and now you're gonna pay for treating them like rubes.

Trump isn't worshiped by his supporters because of any policy ideas, or because of any direct benefit they may enjoy.

These are longtime Fox News and Rush Limbaugh junkies who stepped up to OAN, WorldNetDaily, Breitbart, and American Thinker (my dad's favorite).

Trump is adored by his followers because he's a dick to people, which they call "telling it like it is."

Plain and fucking simple.

They don't care about the lies, the injurious policies, or anything else; they love Trump because he made being a royal piece of shit "in style."

For forty years, they've been told "libruls" are evil, un-American, mystical people who want to destroy everything from the nuclear family, the Second Amendment, and personal responsibility.

They've been fed a narrative of being this ragtag, maligned force of underdogs....

....who were actually in the majority of the American population, but were forced to hold back because of "political correctness", Hollywood, and pop culture.

Trump is their avatar; the projection of all their grievances and pent-up feelings of shame and rage.

@davidfrum might frown on my language here, but to paraphrase him from a talk he did with the @cwclub recently, Trump being this rank POS to liberals ("owning the libs", if you will) with insults, lies and vulgar behavior is why his followers feel liberated to follow suit.