It was very illuminating. I agree that right wing media is a big problem. Someone like Greene, Gaetz, or Boebert make for “good television” (or radio or podcasts, etc). They say provocative things and can get viewers so whipped up that they can’t wait to watch the next segment to see what else to be outraged about.

The problem is “what makes entertaining media” is different from “what makes a politician effective.” Republicans always pushed their agenda, but they used to find compromises with the Democrats. To use numbers, if Republicans wanted 1 and Democrats wanted 10, Republicans and Democrats used to be able to get together and pass 5.

Now, with right wing media figures calling any compromise “treason,” no Republican is willing to work with Democrats. So Republicans call for 1. Democrats want 10, but are willing to settle for 5. Republicans demand 1 or they’ll burn the government down. And when they don’t get 1, Republicans act shocked that everyone isn’t capitulating to their threats. After all, when they go on right wing media and make those threats everyone there cheers them on.

Edit: It’s also obvious that the right wing media folks don’t need to deal with elections. If their rhetoric results in Republican losses, they will just rage twice as hard about the Democrats. If Republicans win, they’ll take all the credit.