By Tom Burke / Herald columnist

So now that previous columns have examined Republicans’ stir-the-base and garner-the-votes lies and the anti-democratic laws Republicans covet, let’s look at what’s posted by some Republicans and MAGA backers about reality; and who they might vote for.

Let’s start with a MAGA woman at a trucker’s convoy rally, where she claimed, vehemently, that the Biden administration covid adviser Dr. Anthony Fauci was in GitMo prison, along with the Clintons, the Obama family, and all the “elites.” (Strange that no media has covered this, not even Fox or OAN.)

Then there’s the GOP trucker convoy-participant who stated authoritatively that the convoy would only “end” when Donald Trump was back in office before 2024. (That could be a while. Got gas?)

And speaking of the presidency, a lot of QAnon folks are convinced JFK Jr. (who died in 1999) actually faked his death and laid low for 23 years waiting to come back as Trump’s vice president. This prognostication was notably promulgated by Federal Way’s own “Q,” Michael Protzman, in November 2021. (Foot tapping impatiently; we’re still waaaiting.)

Oh, and how about the MAGA denizen who categorically broadcast that the planet Mars has been quietly colonized by the defeated Nazis following WWII; but they also came to America and are “all over” the U.S. government and were led by George H. W. Bush as Fuhrer of the Fourth Reich. (Although there’s a different lady posting that she’d prefer Putin to Biden as president and seemed to indicate it was George W. Bush who was the Nazi.)

More “news” from a MAGA-hat-wearing Republican: Donald Trump is still president!

But when asked if Biden wasn’t president and Trump was president; why is Biden is being blamed as president for high gas prices when they’re sure Trump actually is the president? The MAGA’s reply was, at best, muddled and the question remained unanswered, but yet insisted Trump was president, when, of course, he isn’t actually president, at least according to Trump’s vice president, the Electoral College, 60-some courts, 50 state legislatures, and Biden being sworn in by the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court on Jan. 20, 2021. As president.

Another confusing bit of by-play ensued when a MAGA/Trump T-shirt wearer was asked about the Jan. 6 insurrection. It was antifa, not MAGAs, who stormed the Capitol he said. But when asked if antifa wanted Biden as president (he said they did), then why would they riot to try and stop Biden’s certification? A long, long silence followed.

Gentle reader, the scary part here for me is: These folks, and a lot more like them, vote. They cast ballots to elect those who make the laws and rules we live by, the policies that guide us into the future, and exercise control over our bodies, finances and freedoms. (Which simply boggles the mind and frightens the heck out of me.)

Now many of the candidates they will be voting for are either pandering up to their delusions or leading them down the garden path. Either way, it’s unconscionable.

So, consider U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., running for re-election with a Trump endorsement, who said that joining the U.S. military is “like throwing your life away.”

Oh, kaaaay. Interesting perspective for a member of Congress.

Then there’s Florida’s Gov. Ron DeSantis, whose “Don’t Say Gay” bill has engendered a lot of controversy and triggered a bunch of Republicans to accuse teachers, (Democratic) politicians, and others with “grooming” young children for pedophilia or sex-trafficking. DeSantis is even at war with his state’s largest employer, Disney, over Disney’s objections to this law. And when Abigail Disney wrote a piece supporting the repeal of “Don’t Say Gay,” the response to her by supporters of the legislation was, “Kill these f***ing pedos.”

And let’s not forget the other Republicans running for office: there’s Lauren “I’ll Carry My Glock to Congress” Boebert; Mehmet “Have Some Snake Oil” Oz and the who’s-who list of Trump-endorsed “champions of democracy,” such as (again); Taylor “I don’t remember” Greene; Paul (Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Joe Biden murder anime creator) Gosar; J.D. “I don’t really care what happens to Ukraine” Vance; David (Showing white power hand signs at rallies ) Perdue; Idahoan Janice (white nationalist and anti-Semite rally featured speaker) McGeachin; and Nebraska governor candidate Charles (Accused by eight women of groping) Herbster.

Here in Washington it’s Loren “Get a rope” Culp; Robert “Prepare for (civil) war. It appears inevitable at this point” Sutherland; and Congressional Republican hopefuls Joe Kent, Heidi St. John and Wadi Yakhour who all agree, “we’re all Trumpians, every single one of us.”

So, soon-to-be-a-voter-again, do you want to vote for candidates who: Endorse the Jan. 6, 2021 insurrection? Promote white (Christian) nationalism? Are responsible for the covid-loss of 1 million Americans? Embrace murderous tyrants like Vladimir Putin? Show contempt for the Constitution and the law? Spread racism, misogyny, and homophobia? Lie ceaselessly? Undermine democracy? Defile faith? Divide the American people? Assault the free press and the media? And march toward authoritarianism?

In other words, do you want to vote Republican?

As the Holy Grail’s guardian knight said in that Indiana Jones movie, “Choose. But choose wisely.”

Tom Burke’s email address is t.burke.column@gmail.com.