Friday mailbag!

Here we go.

Happy Friday.

We made it!

Just wanted to say thank you again for all of the thoughtful comments and suggestions about how to make what we are doing here even better. I am (still) sifting through feedback and am preparing a sort of mission statement/value proposition that I hope will land next week in this space.

For now, let me say this: You all are why this has succeeded to the extent it has. A thoughtful — and kind — group of people willing to hash it out daily on the major issues affecting our body politic.

Every week I am moved by the level of engagement and care that people put into their participation in our community. Let’s keep growing. I think this matters — now more than ever.

Tons of good questions for the mailbag this week so let’s get to it! Soundtrack for today’s mailbag: “Light Verse” by Iron & Wine.

Q: Why do you think so many of the people in [Trump’s] orbit have been willing to throw away their careers, personal lives, and livelihood in support of him? The amount of people who have either been indicted / gone to jail (Michael Flynn, Rudy Guiliani, Mark Meadows, Michael Cohen, Steve Bannon, Roger Stone etc.) for him is staggering. Kelly Ann Conway is divorcing her husband over issues tied to him not supporting Trump (clearly ballooned into something else). Not to mention people who make utter fools of themselves kissing his ass (hi Lindsay Graham!) Do you suspect he has compromising information on these people? Are they just stupid enough to risk it all? Or is it something else?

A: A GREAT question that I have thought a lot about.

Rick Wilson, one of the loudest anti-Trump voices out there, wrote a book called “Everything Trump Touches Dies.” Which may be an exaggeration. But only slightly.

There are political careers and lives scattered all across the road behind Trump. His body count in just the last 8 years is staggering. And yet more and more people just line up to be a part of his orbit.

Here’s my answer to the “why” of that: It’s psychological. I think the vast majority of people who align with Trump — not every one but most — are desperate for the limelight. In many cases, they had been the center of attention but watched as the lights went out or moved on. (I am thinking of Giuliani and Chris Christie in particular.) They want to be relevant. They want to matter. They want to be near power.

And he offers them that — in a way that very few other high-level politicians do or would. Because Trump’s world of advisers is ever-changing — he tires of people, they say something he doesn’t like etc. — there are always more openings to get into his good graces.

There’s something very appealing to lots of people about having the ear of a guy who has been and could again be president. He listens to me! I am influencing national politics!

That status comes, almost always, with lots of negative consequences. Trump is always pushing the line of ethical and legal behavior — and he brings you along with him. He is looking for scapegoats and you are conveniently there. It always end badly.

And yet, I think human nature being what it is, people convince themselves that “it will be different with me.” It never, ever is. But they think it will be — and so they do it. Over and over again.

Q: What is up with Bill Barr?

A: Man, I do not know.

Barr has spent the last several years telling anyone who would listen that Trump was fundamentally unfit to be president. And then this week he endorsed Trump because “the real danger to the country — the real danger to democracy, as I say — is the progressive agenda.”

Like, WHAT? I mean we can have a robust debate about whether the liberal agenda is bad for the American experiment in democracy. I can see people making credible points on that front.

But you know what is really dangerous to democracy? Trying to overthrow a free and fair presidential election. And then, when that doesn’t work, helping to incite an insurrection at the U.S. Capitol with the aim of stopping the counting of the electoral votes.

Which [checks notes] Joe Biden didn’t do. And [checks notes again] Donald Trump did.

What is Barr doing? My guess is his anti-Trump stance is hurting business. So, he’s trying to get back on the “right” side.

Q: Can you take the “REALLY believe” test? Assign a % true to each sentence in the pair, with the percentages adding up to 100 for each pair. My guesses in (parentheses)

Pair 1:

(a) Trump’s supporters kinda know he’s bullshitting and grifting them, but they love him because he owns the libs (40)

(b) His supporters REALLY believe everything he says (60)

Pair 2:

(a) Trump knows when he tells a lie (35)

(b) He’s so delusional he REALLY believes the stuff that comes out of his mouth (65)