The GOP has a big problem. Millions of its voters are a civically incompetent mob.

It's time to hold Republican voters accountable for the rise of Donald Trump

There is not a lot of confidence in the GOP voters.
(Image credit: AP Photo/Toby Talbot)

There is one thing you will never hear an American politician say, at least in public, after losing an election: "I would have prevailed if the voters weren't so foolish, short-sighted, and stupid."

The reticence makes sense. For one thing, when your career depends on winning votes, it's wise not to insult those who cast them. But on a deeper level, such an outburst clashes with bedrock American convictions about democracy.

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Damon Linker

Damon Linker is a senior correspondent at TheWeek.com. He is also a former contributing editor at The New Republic and the author of The Theocons and The Religious Test.