Bachmann,
Cain,
Gingrich,
Palin,
Paul,
Perry,
Romney,
Santorum,
Trump.

All of these people have been seriously proposed and accepted as potential Presidential nominees by the Republican Party. Sure, every political party has people that are mad, fools, cynical opportunists, cranks, ideological zealots, inarticulate thugs, shameless panderers, religious fanatics, or grotesque buffoons. But rarely are they all simultaneously encouraged to run for office by hordes of enthusiastic followers, and taken seriously by the Conservative punditerati.

Yes, I’m aware that there are other Conservatives who could have made viable candidates and perhaps even effective leaders, but they either wisely chose not to run, or were dismissed by the base as too “moderate”, the newest and most vile slur available in the lexicon of the American Right.

Fortunately, the American public, both Right and Left, has had a good opportunity to size up these people. We know now what the far Right is willing to do to attain power, and what they capable of doing once they get it. If any of these clowns manages to get the Presidency in a free and fair election, America will suffer the inevitable result. And America will deserve it.