re: #3 Shiplord Kirel

Political pandering by Abbott, Gohmert and company was the biggest factor in pushing this scenario from “remote possibility” to “serious threat.”

Exactly. We’ve definitely reached the stage where Republican leaders have full responsibility for calming down the GOP base before it is too late.

After all, this is the very same monster that they have nurtured for decades, and the GOP leadership has ensured that the monster won’t listen to any non-RWNJ sources. So nobody else can tame the monster.

It is profoundly stupid and/or deeply cynical to simply dismiss Abbott’s gross dereliction of duty in office as a harmless bit of pandering to the GOP crazies in the base.

That bit of pandering was an impeachable offense.