Here’s the ugly little question at the heart of the Trump era: How much would you object to his behavior if he were pursuing a liberal agenda?
Obviously that’s not a real-world scenario, because the racism is baked in. But what if you subtracted that but kept the sexual predation, the crudeness, the taste for revenge — while he increased taxes on the rich, spent on infrastructure, and meant by “America First” cutting back on imperialism and shrank the military. In short, if he pursued your agenda, or most of it, how much of the rest would you be willing to put up with?
Once you admit to yourself you’d put up with quite a bit, it’s easier to understand why Republicans won’t abandon him. I’m not saying it’s admirable, but it’s understandable.