The Devil always takes his cut

Democrats can't beat Republicans in 2022, but Trump can.

As I read about the latest goings-on in the circular firing squad that is Georgia Republican politics, I am reminded of another famous incident from the Peach State, circa 1979:

So the Devil comes up to this cocky kid Johnny one day and wants to get the kid's soul. He makes a bet with Johnny, whoever the better fiddle player is wins, a golden fiddle against Johnny's soul. Johnny, clearly not too bright and quite arrogant, takes the deal. They both play, and upon hearing Johnny's song, the Devil concedes that he's been defeated, and departs, leaving the golden fiddle with Johnny.

There are a number of aspects about this story that simply do not make any sense. The first one, of course, is why is does the Devil seem to have a quota of souls he needs to get like he's got a boss up his ass about it, but that's not particularly relevant here.

The first relevant point is about the contest; there is no third party there to judge it. Neither the Devil nor Johnny seem perturbed by this, as if the…