Things are looking decidedly grim for those of us still possessed with some modicum of reason. Despite months of abject stupidity, rank ignorance, and astonishing displays of petulant immaturity, Donald Trump is poised to become the Republican nominee. Many are suggesting that Cruz improve his game, that he step up and Get It Done.

To paraphrase the King of Rohan, What can men of reason do against such reckless stupidity?

Cruz has been consistent throughout the campaign. He has largely avoided the mud that other candidates have wallowed in up to their necks. He lays out specific policy positions, he has a highly organized ground operation fighting for delegates. He has excellent fundraising and financial management. Despite behaving in a way that one would expect a proper President of the United States to behave, it doesn’t seem to matter.

Donald Trump has proved on a nightly basis that he’s a buffoon, a clod in orange spraypaint who spews either nonsense or invective anytime he opens his mouth. He’s belittled disabled people and women, posted humiliating photos of Heidi Cruz, ducked debates, lied, changed his position on abortion three times in twelve hours, and hires shmucks and charlatans to run his joke of a campaign.

But he keeps winning.

That says less about the candidates and much, much more about the growing tide of stupidity and ignorance on both sides of the political divide. The fact is, when the Black Gates open and the hordes of orcs march upon the West, it won’t be Democrats or Republicans in their ranks. It will be stupid, slovenly, ignorant rubes who have no concept of what the Federal Government actually does, nor do they care to learn. It will be people who believe that a single dimwitted real-estate developer has the key to solving problems that have for decades confounded minds much more astute than his.  These are not people who can be reasoned with, so no amount of detailed, well-reasoned policy positions are going to reach them.

It will be people who have lost any sense of morality or decency, and have no problem whatsoever voting for a woman who spews brazen lies without the slightest rebuke, a woman whose most notable accomplishment was getting other people killed, a woman who intentionally mishandled government secrets to hide her traitorous influence peddling, grifting, and incompetence. Anyone who can make Bernie Sanders seem palatable by comparison must be doing something horribly, horribly wrong, but the slack-jawed, creatures dragging their Obamaphones behind them as they jostle each other for position in the Free Stuff line don’t care. They’ll vote for her anyway.

Unfortunately, I don’t think looking to the East on the fifth day is going to yield much hope. Fangorn Forest is staying put, in the pages of Lord of the Rings where Tolkien left it. It seems more and more likely that the people are going to get the President they deserve, and not the President they need. God help us.