ACHTUNG: The following is not a “Fair and balanced” story. It is an editorial by the editor.

“Four legs good. Two legs bad.” — The sheep in “Animal Farm” by George Orwell.

“Democrats good. Republicans bad.”

It’s really awful that it’s come to this. But because the Republican Party has made a Faustian bargain with not the Devil, but Donald Trump, I see no reason to support, endorse or vote for anyone associated with the GOP. I’ve already voted, and I even left blank the boxes next to Rs running unopposed.

That’s how much my disgust with the Republican Party has grown over the last two years. Recent developments, such as the Kavanaugh confirmation, the trio of hate crime incidents this week and the promise of cutting Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid to handle a budget deficit created by massive tax cuts for the wealthy have only worsened my opinion.

I hope I am not misunderstood. Too many people think only in binary terms and insist that if I despise Republicans, I must love Democrats. Not true. The latter is the only viable alternative when the GOP has become a gaggle of toadies for a serial philanderer, a pathological liar and a sociopath who reminds me too much of Adolf Hitler.

Don’t laugh or brush it off. I have spend all of my adult life studying history and it was my major in college. Through it all, I’ve always been fascinated and puzzled over why a reasonably intelligent society in Germany could be manipulated into such hateful and despicable acts as the attempted extermination of Jews. Ah, the power of propaganda, marketing and advertising. Consult Rod Serling’s “The Monsters Are Due on Maple Street” episode on “The Twilight Zone.”

But I am astonished that so many poor and middle class citizens can be persuaded to support politicians who promise to reduce benefits from the most popular government programs in history in order to pay for tax cuts for the rich.

NICK DANGER: “What kind of a chump do you take me for?”

ROCKY ROCOCCO: “First class!”

With all of that in mind, the following is a list of people on the ballot Nov. 6 whom I support. These endorsements and 73 cents probably would get you a senior’s cup of coffee at McDonald’s.

• GOVERNOR — Gretchen Whitmer.

• U.S. SENATOR — Debbie Stabenow.

• CONGRESS — Matt Longjohn.

• ATTORNEY GENERAL — Dana Nessel.

• SECRETARY OF STATE — Jocelyn Benson.

• STATE SENATOR — Garnet Lewis.

• STATE REPRESENTATIVE — Ron Draayer and Mark Ludwig.

• COUNTY COMMISSIONER — Mike Salisbury (4), Ben Snape (6) and Rachel Collingsworth (7).

• STATEWIDE BALLOT PROPOSALS — All ayes.

I am endorsing by default. I pronounce anyone who agrees to have an R next to his or her name on the ballot to be disqualified. He or she is an enabler who has agreed to march in lockstep with the most divisive, hate-promoting, lying and bullying politician not seen since the 1930s in Germany. This madness must stop.

I do feel slightly bad about not supporting Mark DeYoung for County Commission, someone I have voted for consistently over the years. But he’s running with a bad crowd.

It is interesting that U.S. Senate candidate John James trumpeted his support from Trump in the primary, as did gubernatorial candidate Bill Schuette, yet nary a word about the President during the general election campaign season. The same is true for enthusiastic Trumpies Mary Whiteford and Steve Johnson (for state representative) and Aric Nesbitt (for state senate).

These politicians have demonstrated clearly they’re more interested in winning and being loyal to their tribe than doing the right and moral thing.

Russian President Vladimir Putin recently was quoted as saying America’s empire is going down in flames, and I fear he is correct. We only have ourselves to blame when we have voted for our hates rather than our hopes.

Once again, the wise words of cartoonist Walt Kelly in Pogo:

“We have met the enemy, and he is us.”