Let’s be clear. Republicans are trying to subvert the democratic republic established by our Constitution for one reason: Their views about rule by an oligarchy specifically, and white males more generally, are not held by a significant majority; they can’t win elections in a fair contest of ideas and policies.

Even their long-term project of fear mongering and divisive rhetoric, while helpful in  primary elections (which tend to elevate extreme right wingers), is not enough to win general elections.

Trump knows this, which is why he has urged Texas and other red states to gerrymander their states at an unconventional time in the election cycle (to say nothing about the other ways he’s pushing to distort elections to favor Republicans voters and disadvantage Democratic voters.)

Two things to bear in mind here:

First, throughout history rule by oligarchs has not worked out well for most people. Mass poverty, crime and disease are the handmaids of oligarchic rule. (Getting rich doesn’t require the skill set needed to create a thriving society.)

Secondly, people who lose their democratic rights are going to seek other ways to secure their interests. Some of those ways are violent, which, again, is not great for most people.

The GOP project doesn’t seem like a recipe for making America great.