A cruel line that served no purpose except cruelty itself

In 2012 I posted a jokey running commentary on each general-election presidential debate. This time around I can’t muster the enthusiasm. Partly because social media has swallowed blogging whole, but mostly because there’s little fun in it when Donald Trump’s involved—you can’t parody someone who’s perpetually in self-parody mode. The reliably funny Alexandra Petri made a good effort, but her fake debate transcript isn’t much more ridiculous than the real one.

There’s really just one moment I want to comment on: Trump’s suggestion that the hack into the DNC’s systems could been done by “someone sitting on their bed that weighs 400 pounds.”

Yes, Trump displayed a notable ignorance about what cybersecurity is and who hackers are. And yes, he misplaced his modifier. (From my grammar-sensitive wife: “Tomorrow he’s going to say he meant the bed weighs 400 pounds.)