I feel as you do, Emjay Em. He frankly scares the shit out of me. He grows more appalling by the day, but what is truly frightening is that rather than collective outrage growing commensurately, is it that instead, we’re becoming numbed by the sheer abundance of his outrageous words, his slipperiness? Are people afraid to speak out against him? He is very skilled at turning criticism of him into an attack on the one issuing it, and using the attack to further his “message,” murky though it be.

I’ve noticed that just among my own friends and colleagues, if I mention anything negative about him, it is axiomatic that there is always someone ready to jump down my throat with rage at Hillary Clinton as though I am personally responsible for the fact that she even exists. Watching television briefly one afternoon in the bar of the hotel where I worked until recently, a story was running about Mrs. Clinton, and a colleague I actually consider a good friend, if a bit flaky, muttered under his breath, “Oh, God, she can’t be elected!” I just looked at him and walked away. I knew in my bones that there was no point whatsoever in asking how the other candidate was remotely an improvement over her, or anyone else alive. On the most micro of levels, it has become impossible to conduct a civil discourse or disagreement.

I remember when George W. ran the first time. Comedians and late-night talk show hosts universally hoped he would be elected because the comic potential would be exponential. He delivered on that score and so many more. Both humor and reasonableness are utterly lacking this time around. We allowed ourselves to be polarized. At the heart of things, my greatest fear is that we will remain so.