The Patriot Post® · Thursday Short Cuts

Insight: “Those who are lifting the world upward and onward are those who encourage more than criticize.” —Elizabeth Harrison (1897-1955)

For the record: “As Americans, you need identification, sometimes in a very strong and accurate form, for almost everything you do…..except when it comes to the most important thing, VOTING for the people that run your country. Push hard for Voter Identification!” —Donald Trump

But also for the record: “[Donald] Trump is less an aberration than a leader for his time. In his rhetorical contempt for free speech, his ignorance of basic constitutional facts, his addiction to drama and ratings, his personalization of every political question and conflict, and his uncanny ability to bring out the same qualities in his biggest detractors, he breathes new life into H.L. Mencken’s definition of democracy as ‘the theory that the common people know what they want and deserve to get it good and hard.’” —Jonah Goldberg

Throwing Hillary under the bus? “I don’t think any Democrat would’ve beaten Donald Trump, aside from President Obama.” —former Clinton adviser Philippe Reines

Braying Jenny: “I don’t want to hear about the silence of me. I want to hear about the silence of Melania Trump. I want to hear from her. She has so much that’s valuable to say. And so does Ivanka. I want her to speak now.” —Meryl Streep on the sexual misconduct scandal in Hollywood

Belly laugh of the week: “I’m sad that [Al Franken] resigned. I happen to know him for decades and decades and I can tell you that all he cares about is the well-being of the lives of his constituents in Minnesota. It’s just all he thinks about, it’s all he cares about — and his wife.” —Sarah Silverman

And last… “Cold weather proves climate change, warm weather also proves climate change, but weather isn’t climate because shut up skeptic.” —Twitter satirist @hale_razor