You make a very important observation. You simply cannot play nice with the Left. They are viscous infighters who will stop at nothing to achieve their ends. They will lie, cheat, steal, and engage in outright extortion to get their way. They have no ethical standards. You summed it up well: “You have to play their game and hit them back hard.”
The reality is that Republicans are weak and the Left does not respect them. Unfortunately the Stupid Party will never figure that out.
Thank you ‘’Starboard’’ and Merry Christmas. I used to be a Leftie. Believe me I know them well.