Today marks the 58th anniversary of one of the saddest days in American history, the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. It happened in Dallas Texas, in Dealey Plaza. But today’s remembrance is markedly different than any year since that tragic day.

Also today, Dealey Plaza marks a new tragedy for America, a celebration of abject stupidity and the embracing of insanity. On this November 22nd, hundreds of believers in the conspiracy channel known as Qanon gathered in Dealey Plaza expecting the return of JFK and/or JFK Jr.

This spectacle is an example of what happens when you feed gullible people literally almost anything. These are the same folks that think the global pandemic is a fake and that the former guy won the election, and now that JFK is coming back from the dead to lead Trump back into the White House. Don’t even bother to look for logic. You’ll get a headache trying to trace it.

But now add this to the fact that these folks are the primary recipients of messaging from the extreme right which is now the majority of the Republican Party. Is there any reason to be surprised?

Republican actions these days include:

• Applauding the acquittal of a murder suspect and offering him Congressional internships
• Opposing the $1.5 trillion dollar infrastructure bill, voting against it completely and then claiming credit for its positive effects on their districts
• Openly embracing the violence of January 6th and calling those arrested political prisoners
• Opposing and vilifying efforts to stop the spread of the Covid-19 pandemic
• This list could go on for pages. You get the idea.

It comes down to this: for Republicans, to retain current or gain new seats in the 2022 midterms, must overcome the fact they have steadfastly opposed extremely popular measures and legislation. These same extremists have nothing short of the dismantling of the United States government as an obvious goal. Aside from their other tools like voter suppression and gerrymandering to secure seats, they have to sell themselves to at least some voters.

And who better to sell themselves to than people who will believe anything.