Democratic paramilitary organizations — called “Red Shirts” — attacked populist and Republican voters, suppressing the vote throughout the state. The southern Democratic Party didn’t just control all offices and effectively staff the state bureaucracy. An aspiring politician could not run for office, much less win and participate in government, without having it behind him. Many of the same elements are in play, from the potent influence of a reactionary business elite to a major political party convinced of its singular legitimacy. A party that stands beside a lawless president, shielding him from accountability while he makes the government an extension of his personal will.

Source: New York Times February 21, 2020 09:56 UTC