As I see it, the problem is a lot of us used to be not of the establishment, but of the part of the conservative movement the establishment took seriously and we had some serious ideas ( or at least guys like Jonah do). Now, to stay in power, the party establishment (which really has not changed) has to listen to Aunt Flo who thinks the vaccine has a microchip in it and Uncletifa who thinks the CIA used Hugo Chavez’s ghost to hack into voting machines and that Ashley Babbit is a martyr while George Floyd got what he deserved…

It’s all gross and unseemly, but I think what is happening now is a passing fad. A large group of people came into politics inspired by Trump. They don’t really know what they’re doing in politics or how it all works. Now the billionaires who want in on the action are throwing money around and they’re getting played by the grifters and bled dry. The island of misfit toys is trying to lead them all. The professional establishment operators are experts at playing all sides and the odds are in their favor. They’re not conservatives. But they aren’t really crazy either.

Meanwhile, there is a center of mass growing between the establishment and the crazy that still cares passionately about small government, social conservatism, etc. They are building bridges between the folks who see January 6th as heroic and the people who know it wasn’t. They are people who care passionately about the cause of conservatism as I know it, but also understand a lot of the people closest to Uncletifa do have some valid grievances and concerns about government, the social safety net, growing inequality, and the power of corporations, the wokes, etc.