[amalcon]

Wrong. Republicans have been nasty forever (e.g. calling Democratic voters baby-killers who hate America since at least Reagan, redoubling that under Bush, redoubling again under Trump). They still win elections, and Democrats responded for decades by ignoring it.

That is what has led to Trump. What little evidence we have indicates that bullying just works. It's not the only thing that works -- see Obama -- but it does work. Ignoring the bullying doesn't.