Due to partisan polarization in the 21st century, a candidate (say with the initials DJT) can plumb unknown depths of extremism without losing the party faithful. Then, all he needs to do is convince a sufficient number of unaligned voters that he’s the lesser of two evils. It doesn’t always work, but it has worked often enough to dramatically change the tone of political discourse and make policies previously thought to be far beyond the pale entirely enactable, given the right power configurations.

But the “polarize, mobilize, demonize, then win” formula that Donald Trump has perfected depends on a relatively neutral state of mind among independent voters. And lurking within Trump’s generally sinking job approval ratings are some really bad numbers among independents, as Charlie C

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