Then you should cease asking scary questions.

The Democratic Debate was fine and worthy.

The Sunday Shows were horserace crap.

But on Friday, while the Village was laying on three shifts a day trying to manufacture a single, shapeless Both Siderist political garment ("People Are Angry!") that they can drape over Election 2016, down in the break room and unnoticed by everyone, Mr. David Brooks left the most important question of all hanging in the air.

From the PBS News Hour (highlighted to catch your eye):

...
DAVID BROOKS: Well, Jeb Bush is part of a large group of people who are like the team at halftime who — like the Republican establishment, who feel like they’re down 50 points and they have decided they’re going to lose the game.

And that’s how the Republican establishment is right now. They don’t believe that Ted Cruz or Donald Trump can win. They think it could imperil their majorities in Congress, and yet they’re doing nothing about it.

JUDY WOODRUFF: But what could they do?

DAVID BROOKS: Well, I wish we had gray men in suits. We don’t have that...

...
JUDY WOODRUFF: So, go back to some kind of smoke-filled room? I mean, is that…

DAVID BROOKS: I’m pro-conspiracy right now.

(LAUGHTER)

MARK SHIELDS: You think it’s that critical?

DAVID BROOKS: Well, you know, I’m sort of — I have no confidence in my judgment. I shouldn’t say that on TV.

(LAUGHTER)

DAVID BROOKS: Because…

JUDY WOODRUFF: Mark and I have confidence in your judgment.

DAVID BROOKS: Because I thought Trump would fade. And I still sort of think he will fade. But it’s not looking…

JUDY WOODRUFF: Sort of? You have backed…

DAVID BROOKS: I mean, it’s — right now, Trump and Cruz are both looking pretty good. And I don’t think either is electable, and neither do a lot of Republicans. And so the question is, why do they just sit there and do nothing?
...

And that is the question no one wants to answer.

That is the question which our Beltway "journalists" want to lob into the fog of "somebody oughta".

DAVID BROOKS: ...But, somehow, somebody has got to take some initiative if it’s not going to be Ted Cruz.

And that is the reason real Liberals are not allowed on teevee, because every Liberal knows exactly why nobody's doin' nuttin'.

We know that the genteel, arteriosclerotic GOP gentry have kept their hands clean and their skirts starches by outsourcing the dirty work of Wingnut Hate Management to the likes of Lee Atwater and Karl Rove and Frank Luntz for so long that they have forgotten how to throw their own punches. In fact, David Brooks himself is a perfect example of this. Mr. Brooks' success depends on making sure that he never appears in any venue where there is any chance that anyone will challenge him in any meaningful way. Instead, PBS and NPR stages weekly Nerf-guns-at-100-paces pantomimes between Mr. Brooks and the likes of Mark Shields and E.J. Dionne where never is heard a discouraging word and no one ever loses an eye.

Now try to imagine Mr. Brooks lasting five minute on stage with Donald Trump. Or with me. Or with you.

We know that the reason real Liberals are not allowed on teevee is because we would answer actually answer this question.

driftglass: Why is the GOP establishment just sitting there, doing nothing? Because they have gotten so dependent on winning elections by manipulating the basic bigot/paranoid/rage-drunk "Blame Liberals For Everything" operating system they created decades ago to, that they never anticipated that an even more agile and ruthless predator might hack their proprietary software and turn it against them. Because neither the GOP establishment nor anyone at this table is going to risk ruining their careers by admitting that Liberals have been right about the Right all along.

Crossposted at driftglass' blog