A Republican discusses the Republican presidential candidates.

[Hortensis]

8. "However the moderate republicans are at fault." SO agree, BUT

now so many of them are the victims of themselves and, as said, the mind twisting of people like Roger Ailes, Rupert Murdoch, and Rush Limbaugh. They drank the Kool-Aid too.

We have some neighbors who are strong traditional (NOT social) conservatives, accepting enough to be friends with us and discuss politics with, both couples long-time Fox viewers, and they are genuinely in despair about their country. Very unrealistically so. They believe everything good is in decline and will continue to decline, or has been destroyed outright, and they see no way out. We can't reach them because they know we're wrong about everything, so just briefly state our more hopeful views and change the subject.

Those 45-54 year old white people with high school educations who are committing suicide and drinking themselves to death in unexplained, rising numbers? Blacks and Hispanics notably NOT among them? This is a demographic that includes Fox viewers and right-wing radio listeners, and, seeing Fox's pernicious effect on our friends, I'm really, really wondering if its poison is literally killing some of its viewers.