In the absence of live sports, I have been binge watching “The Tudors” on Netflix. The first few episodes of the third season are largely about the Pilgrimage of Grace. The Pilgrimage, for anyone who doesn’t already know, was a rising of a large segment of England’s rural north in the name of conservative values against the reforming establishment in London. The rebels, who wore pilgrim badges depicting the five wounds of Christ, demanded the restoration of their abbeys, the protection of what they considered to be the true religion, and the removal of ministers they considered to be heretics.
Does this ring any bells? Substitute MAGA hats for the pilgrim badges and you have “deplorable” Trump voters demanding that the swamp be drained.
The Pilgrimage ended badly; the rebels were tricked and defeated, and many of them were executed. Personally, I would gladly settle for just a Biden victory in November.