Tom — I agree with so much of what you’ve written here, but again, I feel like some people are conflating my proposition with the canon of centrist apologism. At no point in this post do I suggest that liberals need to be nice and gentle towards right-wingers — all the shit about how lefties should stop swearing and be more understanding of morally indefensible reactionary opinions drives me as nuts as it does you.

What I’m referring to is the scattergun nature of liberal protest. I have friends who post shit on social media fifty times a day about the latest furore, the latest baddie, the latest shitstorm. And people — not just horrible people — are switching off from it. It is overwhelming and it is tedious and it is not winning the centre. I think if you’re entirely immersed in a #Resistance/activist on-line eco-system you could remain oblivious to it, but I see it happening every day.

I’m still at a complete loss how that alienating facet of liberal anger could drive anyone into the arms of Trump, but I think it does go some way to explain why so many people remain disengaged from left-wing politics.