A lot of people look at Lindsey Graham and think he lost his moral center, that something happened to him, something was done to him, like blackmail, to turn him into what he is now, fallen from his glory days with McCain.

I have an alternate theory.

My theory is that he is the political equivalent of a remora, a suckerfish: a small parasitic creature that, instead of engaging in the dangerous act of hunting for food in the open seas, attaches itself to an apex predator and just receives nourishment that way.

Lindsey Graham didn't lose his moral center. He lost his shark. When his shark was John "Maverick" McCain, he could act like he was cool and accomplished and full of steel and vigor.

When Graham boldly proclaimed that Donald Trump was a scalawag of the lowest order and the GOP should have nothing to do with him, he though Donald was a flash in the pan. He thought it was *safe* to criticize him and that by doing so he would appear strong and forward-looking.

And then Donald won, and re-oriented the party around him, to the point that there was no power to be had -- no nourishment for a suckerfish -- except that which flowed through him, from him.

Now McCain is gone and Donald Trump is the undisputed apex predator of the GOP waters, so of course Graham is parasitically entwined with him.

Now Donald's strength has always been an illusion, and right now it's not a terribly convincing one, but Graham doesn't see any other viable options.

And so if we take Graham at his word from earlier this evening, he's pumping half a million dollars into trying to keep the shark swimming. What's he get in exchange? Unclear, but he doesn't know how to survive without a host.