Shameful clown show

Visiting the children in Maryland, we watched the first hour of the Republican debate.

The kids are Republicans.

Son in law, dyed in the wool, hates Hillary, but also expresses disgust with the Republican party leadership and candidates.

He thinks Trump can beat Hillary, but both the kids think she will and ought to be indicted, tried, convicted, and punished for her unlawful security violations.

His hatred reminds me of the way some Democrats used to hate Richard Nixon.

He thinks the Republican Party is falling apart and every right winger mad at it for whatever reason or reasons - and there are a lot of them - is getting behind Trump.

He's furious, too, but apparently not yet decided about Trump.

He thinks if the convention refuses Trump his supporters and the furious right will not unite behind anyone else, and especially not Romney or McCain who, I think, given their support, might actually win.

She didn't use the word, but though daughter agrees with The Donald on some points she thinks he's a jackass.

I'm not sure Hillary will even be indicted, but things could go that way at any time.

How odd, all this fury on the right.

Democrats get frustrated and disappointed, but there is nothing like this mass fury on our side at this point in history that seems to be predicated on refusal to accept the necessity of living peaceably with, and sharing power with, people who seriously disagree with you and will not defer to your every political desire.

But that is the essence of normality in a free and democratic republic, so this is really somewhat concerning.

In general, strong majorities seem to disagree with the central agenda items of the right, including deportation of illegals and abortion, though the picture regarding trade is more mixed.

As for the debates, what a clown show.

And does this mean the convention will not, after all, refuse Trump the nomination if he is the clear front runner but lacks a delegate lock?

Jonah Goldberg, among others, urges that refusal and endorses Romney's advice.

Candidates pledge to support Trump if he is the nominee.

Not a pledge not to deny him the nomination, but still.

A little of the right wing nut showing there in Rubio's brief remarks about Bernie and Hillary.

Oh, and Trump again insisted on waterboarding and killing the families of terrorists.

He faced pushback from everybody about that.

He did not promise to change the law but quite openly to force the military to commit war crimes, recognized as such, though their training tells them not to.

Afterthought.

Left wing hatemongers fire up American blacks, often inciting violence and riot.

So I guess the hate and irresponsibility are not all on one side.

But among Republicans it has brought out Trump and put him on track to their nomination.

Among Democrats it has thrown the nomination to Hillary, who might have lost to Bernie - assuming she won't yet - without the massive and dedicated support of blacks.