Another Snapshot Of Everything Wrong With Republicans

This is just...bonkers.

The Trump campaign made an online ad that compares Trump to Thanos, the uber-villain of the most successful movie franchise of the 21st century. What's more, they lift the scene when Thanos has been defeated by the Avengers, led by Iron Man and...Captain America.  Thanos is a homicidal maniac capable of the greatest cruelty, including torturing and killing his adoptive daughters.

What the everloving hell were they thinking?

My guess is they think a couple of things:

1) Any time viral marketing takes off, it's a good thing...in the world of viral marketing.  That godawful Peloton ad was horrifying to many, but "the only thing worse than being talked about is not being talked about."  I guess. 

2) Trigger the libs!  This has become the entire message of the Republican Party.  If we are doing something to piss off liberals, we - and our base - are happy.  When Adam Serwer coined the phrase "the cruelty is the point," he was referring to immigration policy, but really, it applies to everything. The faux tough guy, the bully...that's their beau ideal. 

3) The ad displays a complete disdain for actual meaning and context. Anyone familiar with the Marvel universe was left aghast at this.  Who picks the side of Thanos? Well, anyone for whom context and facts are irrelevant.

4) Finally, Thanos was an authoritarian. He was "tough." We see the same weird dynamic with Star Wars, where some kids want to be Darth Vader.  OK, they're kids. They admire strength, especially when they feel weak. But how is this considered a viable message to lead the country?

The Republicans get a ridiculous amount of credit for being better at politics than Democrats, when really they simply have an ethnonationalist base that is optimally distributed within our electoral system.  They aren't good at governing, and with Trump, they have demonstrated a complete contempt for everyone who isn't part of their cult of personality around Cheeto Benito.  Trump can never be president of all of us, because he hates 60% of us.

Thanos is perfect for him.