The Patriot Post® · Thursday Short Cuts

Insight: “A free society is as much a threat to the intellectual’s sense of worth as an automated economy is to the workingman’s sense of worth. Any social order that can function with a minimum of leadership will be anathema to the intellectual.” —Eric Hoffer (1902-1983)

The question: “[W]e are fighting for everything here and a plurality of the Right’s voters are sleepwalking in lockstep with the other side. How, one wonders, will future generations look back at this behavior? How will they comprehend that at the end of February 2016 under 10 percent of all super PAC spending had been trained on Donald Trump? How will they see John Kasich’s admission that he doesn’t know if he should even be president, or process that Ben Carson put the construction of his own political shopping network above the country he supposedly loved? And what will they make of the fact that Ted Cruz and Marco Rubio wasted so much time pretending that they meaningfully disagreed with each other? Now is the time to throw everything at Trump, and to stop this disaster in its tracks. Will our children wonder why we were so reluctant?” —Charles C.W. Cooke

Non Compos Mentis I: “We won with poorly educated. I love the poorly educated.” —Donald Trump after winning Nevada

Non Compos Mentis II: “The polls show that I picked up many Jeb Bush supporters. … When others drop out, I will pick up more. Sad but true.” (Probably the truest words Trump has spoken the entire campaign season!)

“Well, this is one thing I agree with Donald Trump on — Planned Parenthood does amazing work for two and a half million patients every single year. I appreciate his kind words. We’re very proud of our work here.” —Planned Parenthood President Cecile Richards

Profiles in courage: “I think the middle class would be better served by Hillary. I also think she’s the woman to be the first President of the United States that’s a female.” —Harry Reid endorsing Hillary Clinton … four days after his state’s Democrat caucus

Late-night humor: “Hillary came to Los Angeles and she visited the set of the political drama, ‘Scandal.’ There was an awkward moment when Hillary told the writers, ‘Man, have I got some ideas for you.’” —Conan O'Brien