Some people avoid confrontation if at all possible. The CEO’s wealth could have driven him to pursue the course he thought best at all costs, throwing caution to the wind because he was set anyway, if that were his greatest passion. Or maybe he lost some of that passion and said life is so good, how much do I need anyway, why fill my life with conflict? Sounds like he could just go sit on the beach and play golf as it turned out anyway.

In Ted’s case, like so many who choose politics (and by all accounts, Ted is a really smart guy who could have chosen a different path), it’s all about power. The repub party courted a certain base to gain power, and in a vicious cycle, they now have to cowtow to it to keep power, because there’s always some douche waiting in the wings. So, a jackass like Tucker Carlson becomes a kingmaker.