The Patriot Post® · Monday Short Cuts

The Gipper: “I have a special reason for wanting to solve this [economic] problem in a lasting way. I was 21 and looking for work in 1932, one of the worst years of the Great Depression. And I can remember one bleak night in the ‘30s when my father learned on Christmas Eve that he’d lost his job. To be young in my generation was to feel that your future had been mortgaged out from under you, and that’s a tragic mistake we must never allow our leaders to make again.”

Upright: “In face-to-face conversation, people devote 30 to 40 percent of their speech to communicate personal feelings or experiences, Harvard researchers found in a 2012 study. On social media, the figure soars to 80 percent. Interactions on social sites thus trigger a dopamine rush far more consistently than traditional communication — and getting that rush requires less effort. … Sites like Facebook are normalizing unhealthy behavior with alarming speed. Most obviously, they promote a culture of relentless narcissism and a persistent hunger for flattery.” —Jeff Jacoby

Political futures: “Those [sexual harassment] allegations were made before the election and so people had an opportunity to judge before the election. I think we need to move on and not be distracted by those issues. I don’t think the president ought to resign at this point.” —Senator-elect Doug Jones on the Democrats’ “Assault Allegation” strategy to take out Trump

For the record: “I don’t think impeachment is something we should be talking about. … I think it’s futile at this point in time.” —Sen. Joe Manchin

Tone-deaf: “ABSOLUTE RED LINE: the firing of Bob Mueller or crippling the special counsel’s office.” —Eric Holder (What about gun-walking to Mexico?)

You’re always welcome to (try to) celebrate Christmas in North Korea: “All I want for Christmas is full communism now.” —BuzzFeed’s Kelly Oakes

And last… “I’ve yet to meet a Christian who’s liberal in their politics who’s not also liberal in their theology. They tend to view the Bible as they view the Constitution — mostly outdated & subjective to their feelings.” —Allie Stuckey