THE BORGIA STICK

It is now reasonable to regard the modern Republican Party as the Borgia Party, after the 15th century Italian family. The difference is that the Borgias were perhaps unfairly maligned, at least in part. Nevertheless, the modern GOP is, as history recalls the Borgias, a true and factually defined cabal of backstabbers, schemers, and sexual miscreants. Also, they're exalters of religion, an unholy tool to bless themselves while advancing their power.

The House of Borgia produced two Popes. The Republican Party  now has produced a supremely inferior president who declares himself the "chosen one." A man who is the party's primary but not only sexual miscreant, a mobster who is willing to bend or break the law, a sociopath, cheat, traitor, con artist, and liar who uses power exclusively to acquire more power. House Trump and House Borgia are only different by era.

A Borgia family member could assassinate someone with virtually absolute immunity. The occupant of the White House boasts he could shoot someone on Fifth Avenue in New York and no one would care. Imperious and destructive. Yup, these past few years do at times seem pulled from a western history of the 1400s.

The other shared characteristic: With few exceptions, once a Republican always a Republican. You do have the option to exile yourself to the sidelines, a la former GOP Sen. Jeff Flake. You even start a public spat now and then about how unfair and just plain wrong a particular Republican political tactic is. But while anyone can check in to the party, they really cannot check out.

Sure, Sen. Mitt Romney and one or two other GOP senators may object to confirming a last-second Trump pick to the Supreme Court. But that will be true only insofar as they think their combined opposition won't change anything. Or that their number is sufficient to change the outcome, but only if the majority leader comes up with something big that they want for themselves in trade for their loyalty. Log-rolling? In the GOP that's part of the job description.

Anyway, having a wholly symbolic and toothless opposition within the party makes the usually tedious game more fun. Also, having n-house foils serves as a way to demonstrate to the electorate that you're not really an authoritarian, fascist enterprise.

Would Mitt ever set a real marker by quitting the GOP, perhaps becoming an independent or Democrat? Unfathomable.  He differs from ruthless Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell only in degree, not kind. Retirement, maybe. Going over to the loyal opposition, never.

The Romneys of the GOP get to hang out with the power mongers, and in turn the mongers like having foils like these around, at least up to a point. Because they are useful examples of how it's only annoying when they tug on their leashes but unacceptable if they try biting it off. Corruption comes in many forms, all the way up to murder and all the way down to whining yet faithful dogs.

As a high member of the House of Borgia Republican Party, you can fetch a stick, or you can be beaten with a stick, but you can never really stick it to them -- at least not while you keep a stick up your behind.