There is no getting around it: the overriding theme of the first two days of the convention has been that Hillary Clinton belongs in jail. The most vivid speeches, and the strongest response from the delegates, have revolved around this point.
I don’t think we can safely dismiss this as “truthful hyperbole” anymore. The GOP is creating an expectation among its supporters that President Trump will send his political opponents to prison. When you add “Lock her up” to Trump’s promises to violate international law and bring back torture, his unconditional support for the police, his interest in libel law “reform,” and his overall strong man act, you have to take seriously the possibility that he intends to use all of the powers of the Presidency to stifle and even jail his opponents.
That, my friends, is the road to fascism. Every Republican who stands on the stage in Cleveland and supports this platform is saying, in essence, that he would rather live in a fascist state than one run by Hillary Clinton. Sad!