Mencken mention
P.J. O’Rourke does the perfect writerly thing in describing the Trump candidacy. (We first stop for laughter, and then proceed.) O’Rourke quotes the inimitable H.L. Mencken, who said, “Democracy is the theory that the common people know what they want, and deserve to get it good and hard.” Via the Daily Beast.
Trump card
Chris Cillizza writes in the Washington Post that The Donald is bad for politics, by which, we assume, he means bad for America, even if they’re not quite the same thing. He’s right, but whose fault is it? Ask Mencken.
Seems impossible
Juan Williams explains how Democrats are losing the battle over voting rights. He says it’s kind of hard to believe. Via the Hill.
Dynasty sweepstakes
Margaret Carlson: Bush vs. Clinton in the Dynasty sweepstakes. In the race to look less royal, Clinton wins by a nose. Via Bloomberg.
New ground
Two new polls show Bernie Sanders gaining on Hillary Clinton in New Hampshire. What could that possibly mean. Via the National Journal.
Not white
Rachel Dolezal, in the center of a racial storm, can’t explain exactly how she might be black. But she says that she’s “definitely not white.” And so the strange story continues. Via the New York Times.
One chance
For those looking for a resurrection of the Obama trade bill, don’t hold your breath. Jonathan Allen says there’s no Plan B. Via Vox.
Widening gap
Why have so many economists turned against the TPP. John Cassidy writes in the New Yorker that it may be because globalization has made the rich richer, but left many Americans poorer.
Hack job
If the St. Louis Cardinals did, in fact, hack the Houston Astros’ computer, that’s worse that Spygate and worse than Deflategate. Much worse. Via SportsonEarth.
Photo credit: Gage Skidmore, Creative Commons, Flickr.
