I first noticed the dangerous strain when they "swiftboated" Frank Church. A reletively conservative Democrat who thought that mayhem and murder done in America's name and kept secret only from Americans was a bad thing. (those on the pointy end had the info first hand)
When I was in high school, the partisan conservative (Paleo) admin. had a complete class on propaganda, and subversive techniques, so we could recognize Communist influences. I wish I had better notes, as Techniques like Subversion, & Terrorism can be used in any ideology.
I watched in slow horror as these folk subverted groups from Baptists to Republicans, using the very methods I was taught, and made them all something they never were.
Another technique was to change the definitions of the arguments, that all who oppose you have this wild, straw dog agenda, making liberal a bad word, but also assigning the most extreme case of it in proportion to the awareness of the subversion rather than to any policy beliefs, marginalizing and suppressing embarrassing reality debate in one move.
Pre-accusing others of what you are doing, is another tool, like the pained winger cries of excess partisanship, even though arriving at the opposition 30 years late.
Well the Fascist straw left, like genuine Satanists, is at best only a few odd deluded folk, and if one feels the least extreme among extremists, it is only that these others have been "swiftboated" about their thinking as well.
Actual policy attitudes would be the same progressive libertarian range they always were, if we can ever get back to those happy days of being the major issues.
For now, as we fight for air, self actualization will have to wait.
Hat tip kuffsworld