The Crackpot Conspiracy Mindset Migrates into the Radical Mainstream Right

Crackpot conspiracy theory candidate Marjorie Taylor Greene 
spewing her false vision of reality

American society has been degenerating for decades, significantly driven by a relentless barrage of dark free speech from conservatives and populists. The trend toward social lunacy accelerated noticeably since the president came on the scene in 2016. He relied more heavily and blatantly on dark free speech than probably any major American politician at least since the 1960s.

The New York Times reports on what appears to be mainstream conservative and populist acceptance of unhinged conspiracy theories and radical extremist political ideology. A crackpot brigade is beginning to rise as a force in GOP ranks. Facts, reality and sound reasoning are basically absent from this new low. The NYT writes:

“A Republican Senate candidate recently declared herself ‘one of the thousands of digital soldiers’ in service of QAnon, a convoluted pro-Trump conspiracy theory about a ‘deep state’ of child-molesting Satanist traitors plotting against the president. A congressional candidate in Colorado who made approving comments about QAnon bested a five-term Republican incumbent in a primary last month.

And then there is Marjorie Taylor Greene, a Georgia Republican who is perhaps the most unabashedly pro-QAnon candidate for Congress and has drawn a positive tweet from President Trump. She recently declared that QAnon was ‘a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to take this global cabal of Satan-worshiping pedophiles out.’ 

More than two years after QAnon, which the F.B.I. has labeled a potential domestic terrorism threat, emerged from the troll-infested corners of the internet, the movement’s supporters are morphing from keyboard warriors into political candidates. They have been urged on by Mr. Trump, whose own espousal of conspiracy theories and continual railing against the political establishment have cleared a path for QAnon candidates. 

And even as party leaders publicly distance themselves from the movement, they are quietly supporting some QAnon-linked candidates — demonstrating the thin line they are trying to walk between radical elements among their base and the moderate voters they need to win over.”

The NYT article goes on to point out that there are maybe a few dozen candidates in this crackpot brigade, most of whom lost their primary challenges. The few who won their primary races are currently expected to lose their elections in November. Crackpotter claims include conspiracy theories that that Jews, including George Soros, control the political system and vaccines, baseless claims of child trafficking rings, false assertions that the coronavirus risk is vastly overstated, and nutty racist theories about Obama.

As usual, the GOP is morally bankrupt and intentionally deceptive about their intentions and actions. GOP leaders publicly distance themselves from the crackpot movement, but quietly support some QAnon candidates. They want to appeal to both radical conservatives and populists and moderate voters. GOP leaders have decided that they need both the radical crackpots and at least some persuadable moderates to keep the senate. The RNC and Jim Jordan has supported some crackpot candidates with cash donations. There is plenty of dark free speech, lies, deceit, BS and irrational emotional manipulation all around.

The NYT also points out that there are some democrats and independents in this movement. The unifying theme seems to be hatred of the political establishment. For the GOP, that means the existing establishment is unacceptable and it will heave to either go or fall in line with the new fake reality nutters. Since the president did that to the GOP establishment in 2016, maybe it is not unreasonable to think that this equally toxic movement can do it some more.

Something is definitely wrong with America’s political right. It has gone radical crackpot and real scary.