Trump has turned America into a one-party state

The real political tragedy of Donald Trump isn’t only that he’s annihilating the Republican Party — which, let’s face it, was the stated point of his campaign when it started — or that he says odious and dangerous things all time. It’s that his presence allows most of the media to ignore the corruption, recklessness, and policy failures of Democrats, who now function without any genuine ideological opposition.

This week offers a vivid example of this dangerous dynamic. Trump, allegedly a tell-it-like-is tough guy, is adept at nicknaming his enemies but lacks any comprehension of long-standing ideological debates in this country. People love to complain about the duopoly, but it doesn’t exist only because plutocrats prefer it. There’s a real-life, organic right-left cultural and economic divide in this country that has evolved over decades. While the plight of the white working class is important, there’s a lot more to this argument. One side still clings to partisanship, but has abandoned the philosophical debate.

When Trump was told this week that Hillary Clinton had once unveiled a massive “infrastructure” plan — including a state-run “infrastructure bank” — he retorted: “I would say at least double her numbers, and you’re going to really need more than that,” before repeating a slew of liberal shibboleths about the how the country is falling apart. If Trump loves debt, how can you be critical of Hillary? And now a majority of Republicans are powerless to make a case on the issue.