> “Mark my word, if and when these preachers get control of the [Republican] party, and they're sure trying to do so, it's going to be a terrible damn problem.

> “Mark my word, if and when these preachers get control of the [Republican] party, and they're sure trying to do so, it's going to be a terrible damn problem. Frankly, these people frighten me. Politics and governing demand compromise. But these Christians believe they are acting in the name of God, so they can't and won't compromise. I know, I've tried to deal with them.” -Barry Goldwater Goldwater called it thirty years ago. That's exactly what happened, especially in the last few years. It'd be one thing if there were any more free market (small "c") conservatives left to compromise with. All that remains in the GOP are the religious and Q-anon factions that genuinely believe that Democrats are Satanists and child molesters. These people expect total capitulation because they think god is on their side and that is not compromise in any sense of the word. They're not even fit to govern with total control of three branches as shown during the first half of Trump's term, let alone compromise when they're in the opposition. The recent shitshow with the Speaker of the House election and the constant brinkmanship with the budget are just the latest symptoms of their degeneracy as a functioning political party. They can't even compromise within their own ranks because their religious fervor has turned terminal.