Al Franken has a great, funny podcast which he disparages each time in the intro, “We got a great one for you today – for a change.” Truth is, it’s always interesting and funny.  It is also worthwhile to listen to what “fallen away” Republicans have to say about current devout Republicans. The dysfunctional GOP enables Donald Trump. Democrats and liberals can’t cope with their crazy ways, and generally have no idea what really makes Republicans tick  – as opposed to what Republicans say about what drives their behavior –  and we seem to have no idea how to fight them.  So I like to listen to Republicans like Frum who are being honest about the Republican mindset – a rare thing – with the understanding that with Republicans, even former Republicans, you always have to be skeptical. I shared Al’s apparent skepticism about some of Frum’s ideas.

But there were also useful insights into GOP psychopathology. For example, on Republicans and the border deal they blew up, Frum explains their nonsensical behavior beyond the fact that Trump told them to so they did.

“The very act of negotiation is mistrusted by them..Republicans did this deal where they got almost everything they wanted and Democrats got almost nothing they wanted and the Democrats said yes. Like a bad negotiator the Republicans can’t figure out when they’re getting a good deal or not. They just say, if the other guy doesn’t look crushed and humbled and upset, how do I know I got a good deal? If he says yes it must be bad for me. They don’t believe in the principle of negotiations. They don’t understand their own legislation.”

This was followed by a fascinating conversation about immigration, jobs, more teen-agers coming into the country seeking asylum and work, and not coincidentally, red states loosening child labor laws.

I’m not the first person to observe that while the total focus is on Trump in the media, he could not have done what he did and would not be a danger today were it not for his supporters and enablers.  I’m talking about people like Senators Joni Ernst and Chuck Grassley, Iowa Reps. Randy Feenstra, Mariannette Miller-Meeks, Ashley Hinson, Zach Nunn, and other Republican elected officials.  Despite Kim and Donald’s little spat, she said on Fox News she will support him if nominated. And let’s throw in Nikki Haley who while fully cognizant of the danger of Donald Trump as reflected in her presidential campaign, has at the same time said if she were to be elected, she would pardon Trump.  And all the rest of the Rs, the right wing media, regular “both sides” media, hangers-on, opportunists, grifters, spineless individuals and those who maybe don’t know any better or are just enjoying the false feeling that they are politically relevant.

There are only a handful of Republicans with national name recognition who are speaking out against Trump and a shout out to them for sure because we need their help. To name a few, Steve Schmidt, Nicole Wallace, Liz Cheney, Adam Kinzinger, Cassidy Hutchinson, Mitt Romney, Bill Kristol, The Lincoln Project – George Conway, Rick Wilson.

As E. Jean Carroll observed after Trump was ordered to pay $83 million for defaming her, after being order to pay $5 million for raping her, and Rachel Maddow asked her how it felt to face him down in the courtroom,

“”I looked out and he was nothing. He was a phantom. It was the people around him that were giving him power; he himself was nothing. It was an astonishing discovery for me.”

Let’s hope the majority of the electorate discover this by November.