A “hothead” is a citizen who acts and votes in anger on political issues. The hothead herd is driven by conservative talk radio, and it reminds me of sports talk radio, a community I have suffered more regularly. The voices on talk radio are sometimes reflective, but more often raving and ranting about whatever pushed their buttons that day. The topic really doesn’t matter, because the rant will out, whatever its target.

Hotheads are fond of firing people: coaches, general managers, judges, Speakers of the House. We saw them in action on Tuesday in a brief attempt to oust John Boehner, whose worst offense was trying to hold his party together. It was a small loutish contingency who mostly voted for themselves in an effort to shake up the House leadership. They expect to influence policy by giving the raspberry to leaders who use words like “compromise” and “consensus.”

Hotheads could be Democrats, but currently they are largely Republicans, because the Republicans exploited anger to get elected in 2014. There is nothing like anger to get people out to the polls in a midterm election year. Republicans are fond of stirring the pot on issues like gay marriage, amnesty for illegal immigrants, and environmental regulation to get hothead voters in their corner. It definitely worked in 2014, but the consequences are dire.

If you live by the hothead, you die by the hothead. You have a constituency that will squabble to the last punctuation mark in legislation. You have obstructionists who really don’t want anything accomplished in Congress unless it is saturated with their views. You have representatives who can not speak of legislation unless it is tainted with the names of their foes, like “Obamacare.” Politics is very personal for hotheads. There are always enemies, not rivals or dissenters.

Talk radio and Facebook have given the herd a megaphone. It is the democratic privilege of the herd to be heard, but it is toxic and enervating to listen to them. I know, I know, just turn to another station or unfriend them on your Facebook page, and your problem is solved. I usually listen because it seems close-minded to shut them off, but eventually I have go somewhere to wash my hands or clear my mind. You can tell I am not thoroughly cleansed, because I am writing this blog in the key of rant.

Fortunately hotheads are not elected to high office, because they offend too many people. They can be Congressional representatives, because even hotheads deserve representation, but they are often confined to local office and fringe political organizations. However, they have been known to reach as high as Vice President of the United States.

Inevitably hotheads will be on the loose this year. First they have to be sure their favorite targets will be hired or fired as coaches (learn to scowl like Jim Harbaugh) and their current enemies are fired as mayors and police commissioners (watch out, Mayor DiBlasio and Commissioner Bratton). Then they will need to harass the front-runners for the Presidential races (Hillary and Jeb, prepare for a mudbath). As judges continue to allow such obscenities as gay marriage and clemency for low-level drug offenders, they will suffer nicknames and recall campaigns. It will be a good year for recalls, reprisals and spirited rage.

And sometimes it takes a good rant to get something done. I am experimenting with that hypothesis right now, but I don’t see it as a long-term strategy. I say, Let it out, and then let it go. Now breathe and unclench your jaw. Now reach for the dial and change stations. . . . That’s better.