Skip to 11:32 for the key bit from today’s speech in Denver. “They’re not all bad,” she says of right-wing anti-Trumpers. “I’m kidding. They are.” I don’t mind the insults as much as I do the fact they still come paired with appeals for unity, as though calling someone a traitor enough times might someday finally open their minds to Trump’s divine greatness. “We don’t need you treacherous #NeverTrump dirtbags” is a coherent approach. That’s a kiss-off. “We need you and we’re pleading with you as patriots to help us stop Hillary” is another. That’s earnest outreach. “We need you treacherous #NeverTrump dirtbags” is a co-dependent ex-boyfriend/girlfriend clinging to your ankle while sobbing. It won’t work. The same goes for any anti-Trumpers who, after spending the past year deriding Trump fans, would suddenly insist that they get with the program and back a new nominee if Trump were deposed at the convention. We’re a party stuck in a broken marriage whose two spouses despise each other but who can’t bring themselves to divorce. The path to reconciliation probably doesn’t involve cutesy-poo “RAT” acronyms, I’m thinking, just as it doesn’t involve “You’re either with us or you’re against us” ultimatums. If we’re going to do that, let’s give up on reconciliation, no?

I’d forgotten this factoid from Election 2012 but Ed reminded me. Republicans have a duty to support their nominee, huh? Does that duty involve anything more than a token Facebook post after many months of doing nothing to help the nominee win?

With less than 24 hours to go until Election Day, former Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin endorsed Mitt Romney.

After remaining silent for months, Palin made her case for the GOP ticket in a Facebook posting, arguing that Romney “deserves a chance to lead.”…

In contrast, her former running mate, Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., has been a tireless advocate for Romney.

I’d forgotten that, but I hadn’t forgotten this:

Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin snubbed home state Republicans this year, instead endorsing an independent candidate for governor and his Democratic running mate for lieutenant governor…

Her across-the-aisle endorsement is a jab at incumbent Republican Gov. Sean Parnell, who served as Palin’s lieutenant governor when she was the head of the Alaskan state government from 2006 to 2009…

During her tenure as governor, Palin increased oil taxes in the state, a revenue generator for Alaska heralded by the 2008 vice presidential candidate as one of her biggest achievements. But Parnell dismantled the tax, causing a divide between the former coworkers.

She had a policy dispute with the Republican nominee, she couldn’t in good conscience support him, so she did what she thought was right. Nothing wrong with that — although if you’re going to go that route, maybe hold off on the “RAT” lectures to Republicans who pull the same trick on a party nominee whom you support. Especially if you took the extra step and actually endorsed a Democrat, something most #NeverTrumpers haven’t done with Hillary.

Here’s Cruz supporter Steve Deace with a parting thought. Exit question: Palin cajoles anti-Trumpers here to stand with him against open borders. In 2008, as McCain’s VP nominee, she said, “There is no way that in the U.S. we would round up every illegal immigrant — there are about 12 million of the illegal immigrants — not only economically is that just an impossibility but that’s not a humane way anyway to deal with the issue that we face with illegal immigration.” Which is it? Should we back a path to citizenship, as she did then, or should we back Donald “Deport ‘Em All” Trump?

I'm old enough to remember when Sarah Palin stood with us against crony-capitalist progressive liberals running the Republican Party.

— Steve Deace (@SteveDeaceShow) July 1, 2016