…what’s going to happen to the Right wing conspiracy machine? If the next President is a Democrat, probably nothing. The Limbaughs and Norths and Levins will just switch targets seamlessly and lock on to the new CIC. If its Sanders, we will just get a continuation of the Obama is taking over the world for Socialism scenario, minus, of course, the Sharia Law meme. And of course, the Clintons will arrive with their own tried and true collection of horror stories, some of them stretching back for decades.

Still, that goes without saying. What is really going to be problematic is if a Republican wins the White House. What will the viral email factories and all our loony uncles and that annoying wingnut that hangs out at Starbuck’s do? There is a constituency out there, and they will demand attention. They will expect to be fed. They need enemies and they need scapegoats, and they will not be denied either, especially as the middle class dwindles and the Mexicans and blacks start to take over. (You don’t really think the wall is going to stop them, do ya? We need that cheap labor/)

Some of the wackofundos are just amateurs, but there is also a cottage industry grinding out this stuff, it has employees, personalities, fans, supporters, advertisers, all the paraphernalia and infrastructure associated with any industry. They won’t just go away overnight, they will need a new target because that much inertia will not simply vanish into the ether.

They won’t switch their ire onto the Right, it would take too long to redirect all that energy to new targets, and they’d have to develop a new audience, and a new product. That will take time.

My guess is that the machine will stay in place and continue its attacks on the Liberals, and their media, and the Conservative power centers will continue to employ them in pretty much the same way they are used now, to further right wing policies and causes and to target their opponents. They will become an even more important part of the political apparatus and they will also be integrated with other wingnut institutions, such as the think tanks, the more respectable Conservative press, and all that vast archipelago of Institutes and Coalitions that have “Freedom” or “Liberty” or “Heritage” or “Enterprise” in their titles. And of course, the hallelulloid churches will be integrated with the whole program.

If a Republican wins the Presidential election, even if he’s a fairly middle-of-the-road, moderate and reasonable one, I think I’ll just stop posting here. The machine will take over and achieve a life of its own. Even if the titular head is not a fascist wacko, he will be powerless to stop it, and will be swept aside ruthlessly if he tries. We’re getting close to critical mass, anything could set off a chain reaction: call it nuclear fascism.

If anyone asks about me after I’m gone, just tell ‘em I was sick and quit posting, and probably died.