How the Hell Did This Happen?: The Election of 2016

by P.J. O'Rourke

Meanwhile, the American public wasn’t holding either political party in much esteem. What the American public was holding was its nose.

The 2016 candidates do not possess William Henry Harrison’s kind of gravitas. (Although Chris Christie does possess William Howard Taft’s kind of gravity.)

Bernie is a socialist. He says so himself. He thinks the Eighth Commandment, “Thou shalt not steal,” doesn’t apply to him, at least not when he’s in public office.

Americans appreciate bad taste or America wouldn’t look the way America does. And the way America looks is due, in no small part, to buildings Trump built.

Trump’s chief domestic policy will be to be on TV.

To understand how the heretofore more or less respectable Republican Party wound up with such a repellent nominee it’s useful to look at the other prospective Republican nominees. And be repelled.

I suppose, when America starts nation building, we’d better know what kind of Lego sets are available locally.

This is the Bill and Hillary Clinton Principle. Hillary, mind your own business. Bill, keep your hands to yourself.

there are three basic tenets to libertarianism: Liberty of the individual Dignity of the individual Responsibility of the individual And everybody hates at least one of them.

Democrats are liberals, and—to their profound embarrassment—liberalism is an old, white European male political philosophy.

The guy in the Viagra ads vs. The guy getting his food laced with saltpeter by Hillary Maybe Bill Clinton wasn’t the sane choice over Bob Dole, but he was the insane choice. Party on, dude.

The Democratic Party and the Republican Party may think they are integral parts of the U.S. government, but in fact they’re private organizations with no more constitutional standing than motorcycle gangs.

So strong is the propensity of mankind to fall into mutual animosities that where no substantial occasion presents itself the most frivolous and fanciful distinctions have been sufficient to kindle their unfriendly passions and excite their most violent conflicts.

In America you don’t join a political party, it tries to join you.

Our political parties were despised to begin with and were given, by law, the role in government they deserve, which is none.

We’ve now learned everyone’s dark secrets. Our leaders don’t turn out to be likable after all.

whose bright idea was it to make sure every idiot in the world is in communication with every other idiot?