1/ The President of the United States makes an important speech about the dangers posed to our constitutional republic and democratic system of government.

It is reasoned, passionate, truthful, and timely.

The reaction by the political and media class is largely...

2/ ...'Whatever, bro. Did you hear about the crime ads and muh red wave?'

I get it; democracy and a functioning republic is an abstraction, a luxury good, a distraction from the horserace and easy both-sidesism.

Every nerd kid who goes to DC to work in media or...

3/ ...politics (raises hand) learns the inside game is fascinating and fun.

We're not in that game any more. We're in a new territory where the stakes aren't 'What will the highest marginal tax rate be?'

Now, it's a matter of 'will we be a nation with the rule of law?'

4/ And gosh, I know that's boring when we can cynically snark at someone defending the deep code of the American operating system that enables anything like a free press to exist.

Report all the horse races you want, but the fashionable cynicism is a bit much.

ends.