It's the path of least resistance, and also the fact that: from their point of view, there is nothing to be gained by doing the ethical thing, and so much to lose by doing the courageous thing.

Politics in the United States has teetered into being a zero-sum game.

It is a sad state of affairs, but it is almost a relief to finally understand it, so I can just move on and deal with the hand we've been dealt.