Facebook co-founder donates $20 million to defeat Trump Politico

Dustin Moskovitz, who joined Mark Zuckerberg in co-founding Facebook before going on to found Asana has committed $20 million -- with his wife Cari Tuna -- to elect Democrats this fall. "The polarization in America today has yielded a race that is about much more than policies and ideas," Moskovitz wrote in his essay titled "Compelled to Act.", published on Medium. "It has become a referendum on who we want to be -- as individuals, as a nation and as a society."

The $20 million will be divided among the Hillary Victory Fund, the DSCC, and the DCCC, the League of Conservation Voters Victory Fund and For Our Future PAC.

Donald Trump, Vladimir Putin and the Thug Theory of Leadership The Daily Beast

The Founding Fathers warned about the danger of this “strongman” school of leadership since the earliest days of our democracy. Alexander Hamilton cautioned “There are seasons in every country when noise and impudence pass current for worth; and in popular commotions especially, the clamors of interested and factious men are often mistaken for patriotism.”

“Noise and impudence” is certainly one way to describe The Donald’s campaign style. Its nationalist, know-nothing appeal is emotional. Especially in times when people feel out of control—for example, when the forces of globalization are shaking every old tribal certainty—some folks gravitate to the guy who is strong and wrong. They are soothed by tough-guy theatrics that divide the world into us against them. They take comfort in the bully because they believe he’s got their back. Of course, bullies are scared and self-interested creatures themselves and they have no friendships, only interests.

John Adams argued, “without the great political virtues of humility, patience, and moderation… every man in power becomes a ravenous beast of prey.” But humility, patience, and moderation are emotionally unsatisfying for people who need to feel the overwhelming force of power to believe its real.

Donald Trump has successfully exhausted our ability to be shocked VOX

Indeed, what Donald Trump said at Wednesday night's poorly-moderated by Matt Lauer Commander-in-Chief Forum was shocking. But as Matthew Yglesias makes clear, we are not shocked. If President Obama had said one-third of the statements made by the Republican candidate, Washington would be in the throws of impeachment proceedings.

Yet, Trump rolls along down the campaign trail, with his vice presidential running mate Mike pence also praising the leadership skills of Russia's Vladimir Putin. Simply stated, the fast-moving Trump train should be running off the rails, but it defies the laws of physics on every turn.