Fanaticism and supporting Donald Trump

It has become apparent in recent weeks that many "moderate" Republicans are moving away from Donald Trump. They have either had enough of the lies and ego, or have become intolerant of the endless legal drama which pervades his life. In any case they should be commended for realizing what dupes they have been.

The hard-line MAGA group is another story. They are the ones who are the core of the religious cult known as the Trump organization.

Trump's campaign claims that "brown people are swarming across the border, carrying disease, and stealing our jobs," "we don’t have a country anymore," "Democrats want socialism" … and many others, were all baseless nonsense.

Trump’s mind and mouth are so driven by ignorance it’s hard to know where to start. When asked to believe the Obama "birther" story, or that the election was "stolen," millions of you answered the call. For the former, Article II, Section 1 spells it out in black and white, and can be resolved in under a minute … but no, it's more fun to believe it than to doubt it.

And, rather than obsess on the "stolen election" issue for two years, GOP constituents could have taken five minutes out to understand how hand-processed ballots could possibly be slower to count than electronically counted ballots.

But this is not how religious fanaticism works. It works by endlessly repeating the same line over and over on the part of the leader, and an adamant refusal to think rationally, or at all, on the part of the followers.

DAN STRAYER

Bonners Ferry