The Patriot Post® · Wednesday Short Cuts

Insight: “Crony capitalism is a perversion of capitalism. Crony socialism is a feature of socialism.” —James Winters Jr.

Political futures: “No matter which party gains control, the party inevitably believes that people like it better than the other guys’ party. And when you think that way, you inevitably believe you can spend wildly on your vocal base’s wish list or expand government with no check on power. Many people vote a party into power because they are mad or want to punish the other party. In short, they don’t like you more. They just like the other team less, and they will just as gladly vote you out in the next election cycle. This is exactly what happened to Democrats in congressional elections this year. It is impossible to imagine how we can shake loose from either of these patterns.” —Salena Zito

For the record: “I argued that it’s not offensive to use Indians as sports mascots if it’s not offensive to use the Irish, and was immediately informed by many leftists that the comparison doesn’t work because the Irish haven’t been persecuted. These people are monumentally ignorant. Amazing.” —Matt Walsh

A trip down memory lane: “[The Nation of Islam’s] voice has been important even for the development of black theology. Because it was the black Muslims who challenged black preachers and said, ‘You’re promulgating … the white man’s religion. And that’s a slave religion. You’re telling people to focus on Heaven. Meanwhile, they’re catching hell.’” —Georgia U.S. Senate candidate Raphael Warnock in 2013

D'oh! “Honk for your next United States senator, Jon Orsoff!” —Joe Biden (It’s Ossoff, not Orsoff.)

Alternate universe: “Faith in our institutions held. The integrity of our elections remains intact.” —Joe Biden

Alpha jackass: “In the primary, people would mock [Biden], like, ‘You think you can work with Republicans?’ I’m not saying they’re not a bunch of f—ers. Mitch McConnell is terrible. But this sense that you couldn't wish for that, you couldn’t wish for this bipartisan ideal? He rejected that.” —incoming White House deputy chief of staff Jen O'Malley Dillon

And last… “Jill Biden is not a doctor, no. Maybe in the same sense Dr. Pepper is.” —Tucker Carlson