BTW, the New York Times is still giving Op-Ed space to more “Cletus safari” thumbsuckers about how much “President” Trump is still beloved Out There In The Heartland (Iowa this time). The title says it all:

Where the ‘Loony Libs’ Are Self-Destructing, Not Trump

This piece is slightly different from most: it eschews the usual folksy Farmer-Joe-down-at-the-diner stuff in favor of generalities, but Jeez, Louise! It’s hard to tell whether or not this is meant to be critical or complimentary of its subjects: Leonard paints “rural conservatives” as a bloc of mindlessly ideological drones, utterly epistemically-closed (and locked and nailed shut); prone to excuse any and everything Trump (and/or Republicans) might do, while giving any Democrat exactly zero breaks on any matter whatsoever. I’m not sure how painting “Heartland voters” as hopelessly self-ghettoized in an alternative reality is meant to be positive (and the NYT has no comments for this column) - but damn! They sure seem determined to try.