More than eighty years ago, a then-obscure German philosopher wrote an essay that foresaw the essential reason behind President Donald Trump's enduring political appeal. His name was Walter Benjamin; born to a Jewish family in Berlin, Benjamin was present for a pivotal moment in history, and watched Hitler rise to power. By the time he wrote his most famous essay, he was an exile living in France amidst financial hardships, having recognized that the Reichstag fire three years earlier signified that the Nazis had achieved total power in Germany.

In 1936 — as Hitler was violating international treaties with impunity and preparing Germany for war (a threat that many Western powers did not take seriously) — Benjamin, a Marxist and a Jew who was thus obviously opposed to the Nazis, postulated that modern fascists succeed when they are entertainers. Not just any entertainer — a circus clown or a juggler-turned-fascist wouldn't do. Specifically, modern fascists were entertainers with a distinct aesthetic, one that appeals to mass grievances by encouraging their supporters to feel like they are personally expressing themselves through their demagogue of choice.

Appearing on CNN's "State of the Union," Georgia's Republican Lt. Governor Geoff Duncan expressed dismay with the message Donald Trump delivered to a rally crowd in Valdosta Saturday night, saying the president may have hurt the re-election prospects of both of the state's GOP U.S. Senators.

Speaking with host Jake Tapper, Duncan said Trump's speech was a mixed bag for Republicans.

Asked if the president helped or hurt Sens. Kelly Loeffler and David Perdue, Duncan -- very cautiously -- criticized the president.

"The president at a rally in Georgia last night insists he won your state, which is not true," Tapper began. "He attacked your governor and attacked the Republican Secretary of State, going after [Brad] Raffensperger, a friend of yours. He called the election rigged. Set the record state if you would."