Ezra is missing the point of how we got to Trump. He errs in evaluating the GOP because he wants to find good in people.

The truth is, Trump won, and Romney lost, BECAUSE the GOP elite taught the GOP base to want someone like Trump.

More below /1 https://twitter.com/ezraklein/status/1277979979423219713">https://twitter.com/ezraklein...

The fundamental character of the GOP coalition is: agenda for billionaires, votes from non-college whites. That agenda *requires* lying about race. Reagan made it work. Limbaugh and Fox amplified it.
Taught the GOP base falsely that “reverse racism” was the problem. /2

So of course the GOP base wanted an open white nationalist like Trump!
(and rejected traditional dog-whistling Republicans like Romney.)
The GOP white base believes Trump is truthful about race.
Because the GOP elite and media taught them over 5 decades. https://www.deepnarrative.io/2019/12/29/how-and-why-right-wing-media-brought-us-trump/">https://www.deepnarrative.io/2019/12/2...

Ezra wants to believe Trump wasn’t created by the GOP for the same reason he wanted to believe Paul Ryan wasn’t a flim-flam man. He doesn’t want to admit the darkness that has overcome the GOP and therefore the country.
Give him credit for apology here. https://splinternews.com/ezra-klein-admits-his-endless-flattery-of-paul-ryan-may-1830987574">https://splinternews.com/ezra-klei...