For the last year or so, I’ve been arguing not only that Steve Bannon has been a pernicious force in American politics, but that he’s the most overrated figure in American politics. With the news that he is being ousted from Breitbart News, he will hopefully no longer be either.
No personality in modern political history has so completely squandered an opportunity to be an influential force in American life, particularly in so short a period of time. Bannon may still think that the route to political success lies in heightening social tensions, polarizing American life, and declaring war on political institutions and politicians for sport, but it won’t matter. He is without troops, funders, or a platform now. And while I can almost feel sympathy for a man so thoroughly defenestrated by former friends and allies, that sympathy is tempered by the fact that he brought it all entirely on himself. I hope he finds peace in his well-deserved exile.