It still amazes me how quickly the former president was able to embed his brand of corruption....

[Silent3]

19. Trump was taking advantage of deep REPUBLICAN corruption

Not that Democrats are angels, and that the Democratic party doesn't need some house-cleaning to reduce big-money influence, but Republicans have it much, much worse.

It's obvious to me why, too.

To win an election as a Republican, or to get appointed to a government position by a Republican, has required increasing levels of zealotry and extremism over the past few decades, either real or faked to woo the rubes. It has required blatant disregard for facts and science, and either being a conspiratorialist or happily playing to conspiratorialists for political advantage.

To win as a Republican means to emphasize red-meat baiting of the Republican base over substantive policy making.

It has meant being willing to hurt the country whenever hurting the country makes Democrats look worse than Republicans in the eyes of voters who aren't paying enough attention to understand the dishonest game being played.

In short, how do you win as a Republican anymore without being any easily corruptible or easily manipulated individual?