27 October—Theodore Roosevelt, a Republican President of the United States back when the Republican Party was the good guys, was born on this day in 1858. He died at 60—probably of a pulmonary embolism—on 6 January 1919. His death was mourned 102 years later by a horde of Trumpublican goons and thugs invading the U.S. Capitol.

Yesterday was Hillary Clinton’s birthday. Apologies to her for our belated birthday wishes. Which birthday doesn’t matter. But Hillary is about 14 months younger than her husband and he’s a couple of months younger than Donald Trump. Hillary is credited—positively or negatively, depending upon one’s position on and/or feelings about Donald Trump—with getting him elected or allowing him to be elected to his first term as what in 2016 was the office of president.

Hillary didn’t make many friends on the right (but in the wrong) when she called (only?) “half” of Trump supporters “a basket of deplorables” in a 9 September campaign fundraising speech, remarking that they’re “racist, sexist, homophobic, xenophobic, and Islamophobic.” In all events, she shouldn’t have apologized the next day for stating the truth.

Moreover, even though her nomination was a back-room set-up, Hillary herself can’t seriously be blamed for Trump. Because, all things considered, she was only the tool—however cooperative and enthusiastic—of a complacent, inept, corrupt Democratic Party that simply couldn’t field a more electable candidate. Even if Bernie Sanders, Vermont’s socialist U.S. senator who filed as a Democrat for the occasion, hadn’t been screwed out of the nomination by the party establishment, a Democrat wouldn’t have been elected in 2016 to replace Barack Obama.

Donald Trump certainly had a lot going against him on all fronts. So it’s an incredible crying shame that he was able to wrest the Republican nomination from qualified, stable people like Chris Christie, John Kasich, and Jeb Bush, who likely could have defeated any Democrat who had expressed interest in the Oval Office.

The Democrats who had vied for the party’s presidential nomination in 2016 included Martin O’Malley, Lincoln Chafee, and James Webb, as well as ad hoc Democrat Bernie Sanders. They, like Hillary Clinton and unlike Donald Trump, were competent, qualified, and stable. And probably good people, even though politicians. But, you’re wondering, who were they? Forgotten already. And that’s precisely why Trump was able to finagle his way into the presidency in 2016.

Bernie Sanders, while pointing out the obvious, that Trump is a megalomanic and pathological liar, also owns that he’s a good politician. Actually Trump is a brilliant politician because he’s a brilliant demagogue and con man. And, sad to say, that’s precisely what getting elected and staying in office are all about . . .