Not everyone in the GOP is a wealthy white man but the GOP primarily represents the interests of wealthy white men (yes, Democrats do too to a certain extent, but they at least make an effort to look out for other people’s interests as well). Wealthy white men are literally the most privileged people on the face of the earth and one crucial function of such a high level of privilege is being able to screw up royally and be forgiven, bailed out, and (of course) given infinite more chances do exactly what you’ve always done.

It’s especially fun these days watching establishment (whatever that means) Republicans – 1. blaming everyone but themselves for the current nationwide unpopularity of their party, its leaders and its policy positions and, 2. claiming that all Republicans need to do is explain their crap-tacular ideas better. Wednesday’s KJZZ Here and Now featured former Corporation Commissioner Kris Mayes and GOP consultant Stan Barnes towing that line.

Mayes is a very intelligent woman and someone I would describe as a true moderate Republican. Stan Barnes is a fun, affable guy and I get the sense that he doesn’t personally care about the culture war stuff but appreciates the necessity of it for the purposes of GOP electoral success. But both (of course) invoked clauses 1 and 2 during their talk with KJZZ’s Steve Goldstein about the future of the GOP in Arizona.

Summary: According to Mayes and Barnes, Todd Akin and Richard Mourdock are unfortunate aberrations (never mind that they represent the views of a lot of social conservatives and were merely stating those views, calmly and confidently). Just ignore them, for they haven’t figured out a nicer way to tell you ladies that you should be forced to have your rapist’s baby! Also, the radical right wing character of today’s GOP is completely the fault of primary voters and party activists (whom we are to assume are working class, not “business leaders”, oh no, never). Plus, never, ever should you look at people like Kris Mayes and Stan Barnes and ask, “Hey, didn’t you guys, like, benefit from all that crazy stuff during your political careers? And aren’t you, you know, still benefiting from it, inasmuch as you guys still have careers where you get to go on radio shows defending your party as if its anything but a bunch of lunatics?”

Good thing for Kris Mayes and Stan Barnes that they belong to a party that primarily represents the interests of wealthy white men. No one else would be able to spout such drivel and be taken seriously. Fail up, my friends!