The angst about the right-wing lie amplification machine is what's driving the political left to try to force facts into our political discourse. The problem with the 1st amendment, to the degree there is one, is that it requires an electorate capable of distinguishing fact from fiction and the willingness to embrace reality. When nearly half the electorate becomes unwilling or unable to tell a lie from the truth, a fact from fiction, then the 1st amendment becomes a vehicle for political interests to manipulate the process to their advantage.

Personally, I think the calls to silence the political right are wrong headed. If people are gullible, willfully ignorant, or just plain stupid, and if they vote for politicians who harm them with their policies, then they are getting what they deserve. Eventually, the politicians will be emboldened to go too far, and their house of cards will collapse.

At this point, the political right is at an extreme that can't be pushed any further. It used to be the parties spun the facts to suit their narratives, but the political right has abandoned facts altogether. How long can they sustain a fairy tale?