My teabagger BIL sent me this message for Christmas:

[Turbineguy]

“Republics are created by the virtue, public spirit, and intelligence of the citizens. They fall, when the wise are banished from the public councils, because they dare to be honest, and the profligate are rewarded, because they flatter the people, in order to betray them.” —Joseph Story (1833) U.S. Supreme Court Justice 1811 to 1845

Sounds like he's switching to the Democratic party? Hint: he has a newly elected Democrat for a Senator...

[dhol82]

1. Well, either that or he has become a total loon

Hope it’s the former.

[JHB]

2. It can be hard to tell. They can make all the right quotes...

...and then get totally loopy about to whom those quotes apply.

[Ilsa]

3. I'm not getting that Christmas-y, ho ho ho,

Deck the halls feeling from his message. Nothing about Rudolph, Santa, or the baby Jesus.

[quickesst]

4. Just an observation....

"“Republics are created by the virtue, public spirit, and intelligence of the citizens."

These are traits teabaggers believe describe them cuz, you know,.murika

[surrealAmerican]

5. The Republican Party was founded in 1854.

This quote is from 1833. Joseph Story was talking about "republicans" not "Republicans".

[Turbineguy]

6. So I guess that means....

"profligate" is not Trump, but a Homeless person on an off-ramp with a sign that says "God Bless".

[HDSam]

7. I would suggest...

he’s not switching - he believes the wise are conservatives. The winning (the reward) of the public council election by a liberal is effectively banishment of the wise from the council. Conservatives have, IMO, traditionally regarded liberals as being wasteful of resources and shamelessly immoral - the very definition of ‘profligate’ from the viewpoint of a conservative.

Of course, judging who is profligate is entirely up to the person applying the term. Case in point, I see the conservative right wing as the literal definition of ‘profligate’.