The Patriot Post® · Wednesday Short Cuts

For the record: “President Obama, ever since he first appeared on the national political scene in 2008, has systematically adopted a rhetoric and an agenda that is predicated on dividing up the country according to tribal grievances, in hopes of recalibrating various factions into a majority grievance culture. In large part, he has succeeded politically. But in doing so he has nearly torn the country apart.” —Victor Davis Hanson

Upright: “Black people have the capacity to run the criminals out of their neighborhoods. Let me put the issue another way. Suppose it were the Ku Klux Klan riding through black neighborhoods murdering 7,000 blacks year after year. How many black people would be willing to wait for the Klansmen to behave themselves or accept political promises and wait for a government program?” —Walter Williams

Observations: “The Dallas shootings have liberals requesting more national conversations about race. But these calls are mostly disingenuous. What liberals have in mind is more of a lecture, where they do the talking and everyone else nods in agreement.” —Jason Riley

Because eight years wasn’t long enough? “I’m your best hope.” —Barack Obama to law enforcement officials

Braying Jenny: “I can’t help but feeling like the [Dallas] shooter was a martyr. … I am so torn up in my heart about seeing these men, these black men being gunned down in our community. I wasn’t surprised by what the shooter did to those cops, and I think a lot of us feel the same way.” —former Miss Alabama Kalyn Chapman James

The BIG lie: “The Internet and gun shows — you can get whatever gun you want as long as you can pay the price that they are asking, no questions asked, and you can end up doing whatever you want to do with that gun and we’ll come back in Congress and offer a moment of silence for the victims.” —Rep. Hank Johnson

Late-night humor: “According to Forbes magazine, in the past year Taylor Swift has earned $170 million. When she heard that, Hillary Clinton said, ‘I didn’t know she gave speeches.’” —Conan O'Brien