They couldn't imagine a whole party would sign a deal with a hostile foreign nation to gain political power in the absence of popular support.

We've gone from democracy to oligarchy to oligarchic fascism fairly quickly

Last edited Sat Jun 10, 2017, 08:08 PM - Edit history (1)

of the 18th Century in Europe, which looked upon reason as the primary source of authority and legitimacy in government. The Enlightenment also saw the development of the scientific method, and encouraged the questioning of religious orthodoxy. Thomas Jefferson incorporated some of the ideals of the Enlightenment into the Declaration of Independence, and James Madison and others did so in the Constitution. One of the major ideals of the Enlightenment in politics was that of the social contract, a concept that appeared in the writings of Locke, Hobbes and Rousseau, writers with whom the founders were familiar. And one of their assumptions in creating the structure of the United States was that its leaders would be rational, honorable people who would respect the social contract and further the ideals of the Declaration of the Constitution.

To some extent, though, they did foresee the possibility of corrupt leaders. Jefferson thought Hamilton, a sort of proto-capitalist, was corrupt (and he was, somewhat), and their rivalry was instrumental in leading to the formation of political parties. Some level of corruption and cronyism was almost always present, some of the worst occurring during Warren G. Harding's administration in the early 1920s, but the "system" always kept chugging along, if imperfectly. But what we are seeing now is different in the sense that they aren't even trying to hide it. It's kind of a Fuck you and your Constitution and your government norms and protocols, we're going to do whatever we want and you can't do a thing about it. It's not just a new level of corruption; it's a different attitude toward it. I don't think the founders would have imagined this.

The great majority knew what is happening would HAPPEN.
In fact its probably WORSE than we know.
Those 18th century men would be shocked women can vote and there is
no longer slavery...

oh and planes.....and stuff.