It was only after a recent note published in these pages regarding U.S. LA Rep. Mike Johnson’s election as Speaker of the House of Representatives that the significance of one aspect of former President Donald Trump’s triumphant social media declaration about Mr. Johnson’s selection occurred to me: in referring to Mr. Johnson as, “MAGA MIKE JOHNSON [my italics],” Mr. Trump made no reference to Mr. Johnson being a Republican. I would venture that this omission was understandable and perhaps intentional. Mr. Trump has an acute understanding of branding, and MAGA has become the brand for Mr. Trump’s political organization. MAGAs are now so far from the principles of the Republican Party of Presidents Lincoln, Theodore Roosevelt, Eisenhower, Nixon (recall that Mr. Nixon arguably had grounds to contest the 1960 presidential election outcome, and chose not to do so in order to maintain national stability), Ford, Reagan and Bushes that it is no longer accurate to refer to Mr. Trump’s supporters as “Republicans.” Members of the Trump Sect shall hereafter be referred to in these pages strictly as “MAGAs.” What this political transition augurs for those that are, indeed, still Republicans is likely to be the stuff of a future post.
On a personal note: I have posted less over the last six months than in previous years; one major factor has been a desire to be respectful of your time. It is obvious to anyone reading the majority of these notes in recent months that I have become fixed – perhaps fixated 😉 — on the rising authoritarian shift in our country brought about by the MAGA movement. It is the most perilous threat to the existence of democracy on our planet since the rise of Adolf Hitler. Even so, how many times can one impose on those who have done a blog the honor of following it by repeating in different ways the same message: that while Mr. Trump and elected MAGAs are the venomous tip of the spear, the truly dangerous poison in our national psyche is that so many of our citizens either embrace it or abide it?
Given my level of alarm at the current sentiment within our polity and given the cathartic benefit these pages provide me, I am very likely to continue with the same theme at regular intervals between now and Election Day in November, 2024. Your time is valuable; these notes many not warrant your attention.
Now my Irish Catholic conscience can rest 🙂 .
McCoy's Noise 
Keep up the comments regarding Trump and MAGA crowd. Their dangerous acts, and potential damage to our democracy, and indeed the world as a whole cannot be overstated or left unsaid. We need to match and exceed their laser like focus on destroying the democratic systems and replacing it with an apartheid fascist system with our focus on defending democracy and decency.
Bob D.
LikeLike