Longtime Legal Insurrection readers may recall my love of the The Lord of the Rings, both the books and movies.

Both the books and the movie series based on them are blockbusters. The Lord of the Rings trilogy has sold over 150 million books. The movies grossed over $2.9 billion worldwide, winning 17 Academy Awards out of 30 total nominations, including Best Picture for The Return of the King.

Logically, given the public’s adoration for this uplifting saga of good triumphing over evil, filled with underdog heroes and beautiful elves, one might think that any politician would welcome being connected to this iconic work of Western Civilization.

Imagine my surprise upon reading that MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow tried to smear Republican Vice Presidential candidate J.D. Vance with such a link.