First, no tears at all for JBS. While the few molecules of dignity he may or may not have once possessed are shredded by Orange Narcissus, perhaps it’s keeping him from pushing forward with a genuinely awful agenda.

However, Trumps actions are a bizarro mix, part reality show tantrum and part increasingly desperate behavior of someone trying to hide something…bigly. And whatever else, it’s…embarrassing on so many levels. The lunatic base, or if you prefer, the basket of deplorables, might keep clinging to him (like they do with their guns and religion?) but these are the folks who consume — with relish — things like reality television or professional wrestling (probably not many books though). That said, what Trump’s doing just isn’t good. Sure, we’ve seen some astonishingly dim individuals in positions of power (e.g., Bush/Cheney, and offhand, their own AG Alberto Gonzales), but…

I always thought Bush’s core supporters were…Bush voters. But now I’m wondering if, hell, maybe they really thought Bush Junior was…okay, but kinda sophisticated and nuanced. Not like Trump, who really speaks to them and tells us what they think. Damn, that’s a troubling thought, though I keep reminding myself the election was decided on a technicality…

And, to repeat yet again, despite all this, the country can likely trundle along, absent any serious crisis. But serious crises don’t wait until the reality show ends…and if/when we get one, look out…