Schadenfreude Shindig

No no no no no. No. Just, no. Look, I know we've all long-suspected that noted rich Elon Musk was kind of, you know, terrible--as a person I mean--but I mean, c'mon:

Lix Cheney was the left half of the Republican Party.

If you're trying to keep your MAGA leanings 
on the down low, maybe don't pose for selfies?

And he made this ludicrous claim after being outed as having attended Kevin McCarthy's garden party thrown in celebration of the defeat of Liz Cheney. And I mean, I'm not a fan of Cheney's politics, but at least she isn't a batshit lunatic like the rest of the GOP. And showing up at a celebration of the removal of the last Republican who can carry on a discussion without parroting Trump's deranged claims about the election or foaming at the mouth over his persecution complex is a public demonstration of support for the fascist shitshow the party has become.

Pictured: that time an actor convinced 
America of the good intentions of the 1%.

I'm sure there are plenty of reasonable people who are still clinging to the idea that one can be socially progressive but fiscally conservative. It's preposterous, but whatever. Fine. I mean, we're sitting here picking over the ruins of the American Century because people calling themselves social progressives/fiscal conservatives voted for Reagan in the 80's. Twice. A demonstrably disastrous choice, by the way, but sure, you do you. But that's not an option here. Not anymore. 

I'm not like an economist. I just have an internet connection and as such feel qualified to voice sweeping, and uninformed opinions, but the thing that allowed Republicans to get where they are today is an all or nothing mentality. You're either with Donald Trump or you're getting primaried out of your congressional seat. 

Above: the look of someone who just got run out of Crazytown
for daring to question the wisdom of leaning into the crazy.

Anyone else hearing strains of Sarah
McLachlan's "In The Arms of an Angel"
playing softly over a montage of sad Elon?

Evidently, Musk told attendees at McCarthy's Schadenfreude shin-dig that the country would be doing fine if Republicans would "stay out of people's bedrooms" and Democrats would "stay out of people's wallets." Great, world's richest man is butt-hurt over having to pay taxes like the rest of us. How novel. But since the only way Republicans get elected is by stirring up the religious right's homophobia, transphobia, and misogyny, that's not going to happen. Ever. This is who they are now.

Republican performative outrage over liberals and our vision of turning America into a socialist utopia of tolerance and gay stuff is what gets the MAGA goons out of their rapture bunkers long enough to toddle down to the polling stations, assault rifles in hand, to vote for actual fascists. They're not going to give that up because some rich guy who smokes weed and launches electric cars at Mars tells them too. They'll take his money, snap their selfies, and continue to dismantle democracy. 

This guy in Florida is running on a platform of shooting Federal Agents.
So no, Elon Musk isn't going to convince the GOP to change course.