Like @CoreyRobin 'm struck by how quickly the 'Trump is a fascist' switched to 'Trump is weak,' with so many delighting in his pathetic lawsuits. But I wonder about it. Seems to me it only grasps half the point that @CoreyRobin @samuelmoyn and @AliceFromQueens been making 1/ https://twitter.com/CoreyRobin/status/1338691415312920578

Trump personally was weak, took poor advantage of many opportunities to accumulate and use power - think of the twin crises of urban riots and massive public health emergency. Much of what he *could* do reflected the real authoritarianism of US Constitution and institutions. 2/

So the two-step in the argument was that the real emphasis should be on the Constitution, the Republican Party, the established patterns of conservatism (and liberal apologetics), not just on recognizing Trump's weakness. 3/

Instead, seems to me the embrace of 'Trump actually quite weak, his coup is pathetic and half-assed' is just another excuse to focus on the person at the expense of recognizing how awful and authoritarian the normal operation of American government is. 4/

Same thing happened with W. People wanted him impeached, screamed about how awful/stupid/venal/authoritarian he and the neocons were, desperate for a 'return to normal.' Embraced Obama as that, re-enchanting all the awful institutions (imperial presidency, S Ct., Senate, etc.) 5/

So I admit to some suspicion that there's now wider recognition of Trump's weakness/that he was no fascist/ that his attempts to exercise power are farcical when they depart from what the law and party already permit. Still within ambit of liberal desire for 'return to normal.'6/

It's the 'normal' that was always the problem. As will become abundantly clear the minute Biden and his B-list Obamanauts take over.