The GOP's wall of sound and fury.

• Author: Hightower, Jim
• Position: VOX POPULIST

In a faraway land, a long time ago, a civilization existed that was governed through a fairly rational political system. Even conservative candidates for high office had to have a good idea or two, and be quasi-qualified.

That land was the USA. It still exists as a place, but these days, Republican candidates don't have to be qualified--or even sane--to run for the highest office in the land. All they need is the backing of one or more billionaires, a hot fear-button issue to exploit, and a talent for pandering without shame to the most fanatical clique of know-nothings in their party. Also, they must be able to protect themselves from reality, erecting a wall of political goop around their heads so thick that even obvious truth cannot get through to them.

The GOP's One Great Issue of the 2016 campaign for President is: the Wall.

Ted Cruz practically snarls when he declares again and again that he'll "build a wall that works." Marco Rubio is firm: "We must secure our physical border with a wall, absolutely." And Donnie Trump has basically built his campaign atop his fantasy of such an imperial edifice. "We're going to do a wall," he commands, as though he's barking at one of his hotel construction crews.

Besides, haven't we been trying this for years? With the Secure Fence Act of 2006, Congress mandated construction of a wall along the 1,954 miles of our border with Mexico. A decade later, guess how many miles have been completed...