Our Moment of Precarity

Cranky notes on the eve of the first Republican debate—with a few choice words for those seeking to invoke the 14th Amendment to get Trump excluded from presidential ballots

Former U.S. President Donald Trump on stage before delivering remarks at Windham High School on August 8, 2023 in Windham, New Hampshire. (Photo by Scott Eisen/Getty Images)

Maybe someday a few months or years from now, I’ll make a point of highlighting this post as having been an expression of unjustified hysteria or delirium. I will, thankfully, have COVID to blame if I want to reach for an excuse. (I’m actually feeling somewhat better today; hence the unplanned late afternoon post.) But regardless, this is my newsletter, and these are my thoughts and feelings on the day before the first Republican debate of the 2024 presidential election cycle.

Be warned: These aren’t reassuring thoughts. I’ve never issued a trigger warning on one of my posts before, but one might be warranted here. Those who’d like to avoid a bout of acute political anxiety may want to take a pass on this one.