The Patriot Post® · Thursday Short Cuts

Upright: “Good character is not an impediment to success. But it is not sufficient for success, either.” —Jim Geraghty

For the record: “If Senator Romney wants to sound off against Trump’s excesses and character flaws, he should by all means do so in response to Trump’s tweets or statements or actions. But by forcing a ‘Love Trump or Leave Trump’ choice on Republicans, he’s actually doing the work of both the most ardent Trumpists and the most viciously antagonistic members of the Democratic party and the media.” —Ben Shapiro

Friendly fire: “Though [Dean] Baquet said publicly he didn’t want the Times to be the opposition party, his news pages were unmistakably anti-Trump. Some headlines contained raw opinion, as did some of the stories that were labeled as news analysis.” —former New York Times executive editor Jill Abramson

Fake news: “Extreme weather and dire climate reports are intensifying the mental health effects of global warming: depression and resignation about the future.” —NBC News

Alpha Jackass: “Americans, particularly black Americans, can’t afford to make that same mistake about the harm that could be done by a man named Hitler or a man named Trump.” —Rep. Hank Johnson

Alpha Jackass II: “Donald Trump supporters are older, less educated, less prosperous, and dying early. Their lifespans are decreasing, and many are dying from alcoholism, drug overdoses, liver disease, or simply a broken heart caused by economic despair.” —Hank Johnson

Non Compos Mentis: “What’s [Mattis] done for me? How had he done in Afghanistan? Not too good. … I’m not happy with what he’s done in Afghanistan. I want results. … I think I would have been a good general, but who knows?” —Donald Trump going over the top regarding Defense Secretary James Mattis

Civility: “She’ll cut your head off and you won’t even know you’re bleeding.” —Alexandra Pelosi, daughter of Speaker Nancy Pelosi, on her mother’s negotiating style

And last… “If you’re searching for enlightenment in politics, you should probably find a better religion.” —David Harsanyi