Brendan NyhanVerified account

Shockingly few public figures and elites are defending the norms of public debate and restraint from violence that Trump is bulldozing.

These norms are fragile precisely because, per @emilythorson, they are not formal or legal. And they are hard to restore once breached.

No one person or institution is at fault for Trump. Everyone has their favorite monocausal explanation. They're all incomplete.

We can sort through root causes later. Here's where we are: Someone could capture a major party nom who endorses violence & few seem alarmed

I honestly thought our institutions were more robust to a Trump-like figure & that others in public life were more committed to dem. norms

We may narrowly avert disaster per below but even if we do, no one should congratulate themselves on a great victoryhttps://twitter.com/MattGlassman312/status/709176665646039040 …

We're looking over the precipice and I mostly hear crickets. Trump could be on his way toward the GOP nomination after *Tuesday* night

One reason: much of the "this will end soon..." rationalizing (which I once shared) has now shifted to general. No one should be comforted.