The Patriot Post® · Tuesday Short Cuts

Insight: “The notion that a radical is one who hates his country is naive and usually idiotic. He is, more likely, one who likes his country more than the rest of us, and is thus more disturbed than the rest of us when he sees it debauched. He is not a bad citizen turning to crime; he is a good citizen driven to despair.” —H. L. Mencken (1880-1956)

Good question: “If we’re going to let our policy choices be influenced by jihadi reaction, how do we justify legalized gay marriage?” —Jim Geraghty

Belly laugh of the week: “Can we all agree that Steve Harvey should announce the winner of the 2016 election?” —Jonah Goldberg

Non Compos Mentis: “Not sure how many people understand, our ‘right to bear arms’ is not in our Constitution — it is an AMENDMENT to the document.” —basketball sportscaster Doug Gottlieb (Why can’t guys like Gottlieb and Bob Costas just stick to sports?)

Candid admissions: “If you are living in a town that historically has relied on coal and you see coal jobs diminishing, you probably are going to be more susceptible to the argument that I’ve been wiping out the economy in your area. It doesn’t matter if I tell them actually it’s probably because natural gas is a lot cheaper now so it doesn’t pay to build coal plants. If somebody tells you that this is because of Obama’s war on coal, well, you know, that’s an argument you may be sympathetic to. And that’s perfectly legitimate.” —Barack Obama

Narrative fail: “The University of Louisville is an Affirmative Action, Equal Opportunity, Americans with Disabilities Employer, committed to diversity. In that spirit, the Department of Physics and Astronomy announces a tenure-track Assistant Professor position that will be filled by an African American, a Hispanic American, or a Native American Indian.” —The University of Louisville

Late-night humor: “The Department of Health announced it’s extending the enrollment period for Obamacare to January 1st. What better time to sign up for Obamacare than the day we all lie to ourselves about being healthier.” —Jimmy Fallon