Inside the Jonah
Jonah Goldberg, on why Obama is a lot like Trump when it comes to degrading the political system, via the exploitation of populist barbarities:
When leaders claim the system is irredeemably corrupt and the rules rigged against them, politics becomes a kind of barbarism. What is good for my team is right, and whatever is good for your team is wrong.
Trump is merely the latest actor to deliver such assurances to his coddled constituencies. Barack Obama — who recently absolved himself of all blame for the state of politics in the nation he’s led for seven years — has played this game with more finesse than most. But that’s the thing about the great ones: They make it look so easy. Obviously, he hasn’t encouraged violence — that is Trump’s special contribution to the degradation of our politics. But from his contemptuous rhetoric for his political opponents to his unilateral disregard for constitutional restraints, Obama has helped fuel distrust and discord in ways his fans can’t or won’t see.
Can those more fluent in wingnut translate the bolded? I see this claim tossed around a lot at NR and the Weekly Standard, but I never see it attached to any bill of particulars. How exactly has Obama been trashing the Constitution, according to these people? (I understand that Obama plans to violate the 37th amendment later this morning by nominating someone to the SCOTUS in an election year, but besides that).
