The GOP is one of the most dire threats this country has ever faced

[Blanks]

44. I agree.

There are a lot of good people who vote republican. There is no doubt that the people who are behind a lot of their policies; are evil sociopaths. That's not the same as the guys who think all of their friends are conservatives and get all their information from right-wing 'news' sources.

There are a lot of racists too, but a lot of people just go along with their friends, and in an attempt to one-up their buddies; the dialog gets more hateful in, what appears to them, as a harmless competition.

I think we're all faced with friends and loved ones who, we've only recently learned through facebook, enjoy making untrue and sometimes overtly racist comments about our president. However, I believe that they are trying to fit in with their tough talking bully friends. In some cases; if you challenge them, they will stop.

If you've ever seen the movie 'The Wave' (German subtitled, available on netflix) or read the book (more of a short story really) then you can see how powerful the 'need' to belong really is. It is based on an actual event.

I think that is what we're up against and not an entire party of evil people. Just a bunch of folks who, in some cases, are trying to impress a buddy. I'm not defending them or attempting to chastise anyone. I just don't agree that all gun-toting, Christian, pro-life, pro-death penalty, climate change denying right-wingers are sociopaths.

Some of them are just our friends who have been led astray, or could be our friends if they responded to reason.

We need to figure out a way to bring them back. There are a lot of them, and the future of this world depends on it.