There was a time, not so very long ago, when I harbored a political crush on Candace Owens. I adored her for the same reason I once tipped my hat to New York Times columnist Maureen Dowd for calling out the corruption of Bill and Hilary Clinton and why I applaud Bill Maher for relentlessly exposing the moral confusion of far-left ideologues.

As a rule, I celebrate any public figure with the courage to take on their own side — even when they implode, as did Liz Cheney and Marjorie Taylor Greene. For a time, Candace Owens provided an articulate voice of reason against the many self-destructive attitudes and policies that afflict her own community.

But now it's over. Candace, you broke my heart with your descent into irrational conspiracy theories and unconscionable antisemitism.

Of course, she has plenty of company. Most notably, Megyn Kelly (whom I also once admired) and, especially, Tucker Carlson (whom I never admired in the least). It wasn't enough to accuse Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of manipulating President Donald Trump into attacking Iran. Mr. Carlson then went on to propose that the entire war had been orchestrated by the Chabad chassidic movement as part of a master plot to destroy the Al Aqsa Mosque in preparation for rebuilding the holy Temple in Jerusalem.

One might generously describe Tucker's views as creative, speculative, or formularized. A more straightforward descriptor would be "barking mad," in part because it suggests this week's entry into the Ethical Lexicon:

Kyoodle (ky*oo*dle/kahy-ood-l) verb

To bark noisily or yelp or foolishly; to make loud, useless noises; yap.

The notion that Bibi Netanyahu (or anyone else) has Donald Trump wrapped around his finger is beyond laughable. Neither America's closest NATO allies, his inner circle, nor his daughter has shown the slightest ability to curb or control the president's impulses and inclinations. Moreover, if presidents as feckless as Joe Biden and Jimmy Carter managed to strong-arm Israel in opposition to its own best interests, it requires a cosmic leap of imagination to envision Israel bullying the current administration into military action.

But Carlson's accusation against Chabad constitutes as extraordinary a departure from reality as Pizzagate and Affordable Care Act death panels. Chabad chassidim are anything but militant; indeed, they are almost infectiously upbeat. Their outreach centers provide a haven for wandering Jews from San Diego to Fargo, North Dakota, from Kathmandu to Ho Chi Minh City.

It's true that the Chabad community has adopted a more messianic flavor than the rest of Orthodox Jewry. But they clearly promote hastening the advent of the Final Redemption through acts of kindness, virtue and joie de vivre, not by instigating covert operations. As one online commentator remarked, attacking Chabad with claims of conspiratorial violence is like kicking a golden retriever for wagging its tail too exuberantly.

So how can we explain the steady drift into radical kyoodling of Tucker Carlson and his once-mainstream cohorts? It's a good question.

Perhaps the most obvious explanation is ratings and viewership. Set adrift by Fox News and The Daily Wire, these influencers flail to remain relevant by tacking ever more sharply into the gales of extremist rhetoric. Abandoned by the mainstream, they relentlessly court the political fringes.

The more disturbing prospect is that they have started believing their own conspiratorial machinations. Successful propagandists know that repetition implants messages in the subconscious without distinguishing fact from fantasy. Given enough time, celebrity cognoscenti end up drinking their own Kool-Aid.

But it doesn't stop there. In the same way the YouTube algorithm pushes viewers to more and more extreme videos, the purveyors of incendiary propaganda are drawn inexorably into more and more salacious kyoodling. Yesterday's extremism is today's old news. Today's wild imaginings are too tame for tomorrow's content.

So let's show grace to Tucker, Candace and their ilk. There's nothing sadder than falling stars trying desperately to retain their place in the firmament. What's more, they provide a much-needed warning that the most dangerous lies are the ones we tell ourselves.

See more by Yonason Goldson and features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists; visit the Creators Syndicate webpage at www.creators.com.

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