One has to maintain some sort of balance in watching the horrors coming out of CPAC.

On the one hand, it is terrifying to think that these people are the most active party participants in the conservative wing of American politics. On the other hand, we should keep perspective, the majority of Americans support President Biden. President Biden has a 55%-60% approval rating, and thus the people at CPAC represent a small minority.

But one cannot have a government in which 30% of the people don’t recognize the government as legitimate. The only way government works anywhere is if near everyone under it at least agrees upon the basic idea, “This is our government,” even if it comes at the point of a gun, there is at least legitimacy in everyone agreeing.

But it is an entry-level requirement that everyone at CPAC sees Donald Trump as the only legitimate president of the United States. Somehow, the CEO of Goya Foods is a featured speaker. How did that happen? Is the CEO of United Airlines speaking? Exxon? Google? (pfft). Why Goya? Because the CEO of Goya, Robert Unanue told a cheering CPAC crowd that Donald Trump is not only his president still, but also the “legitimate” president of the United States.

“My biggest honor today is going to be that, I think, we’re going to be on the same stage as, in my opinion, the real, the legitimate, and the still actual president of the United States, Donald J. Trump.”

It is a terrifying pronouncement. Yes, we have heard it before, but hearing it happen with a roar from CPAC just proves how much danger the nation faces from this junta of rebels (got a better word?) and insurrectionists.

We keep saying that this is how democracies die. But even if every single person in that CPAC hall became convinced that Biden did win by having more votes in all the right places, who here doubts that they would trade elections to impose Donald Trump president for life? Anyone?

That is how democracies die. When enough people in society prefer to have a fascist government because they will install their own fascist. The only thing separating us from a hot civil war right now is Biden’s refusal to declare himself president for life and the Congress banning Trump from running again – which they have the power to do under the 14th Amendment.

Terrifying.

****
Peace, y’all
Jason
[email protected] and on Twitter @JasonMiciak