Like many of you, I am watching a live feed of Trump Tower this morning. The building is barricaded with gates in the case of protesters or rioters and hungry cameramen lay in wait to catch a first glimpse of the golden locked president, himself awaiting locking.
I must admit this is a strange moment and I have many reactions. The most notable is a sense of sadness as the country has declined so swiftly and so far into incivility. I do understand those who take delight in Donald Trump being harpooned like this; it is normal to feel some elation when your perceived enemy get his just desserts, as you see it. I myself do not care much for the man, and believe his personality has fueled a culture war beyond what was necessary. But, the cost of moments like these are more subtle and vast than we may imagine.
I am not sad for the man but for the office of the president and of the institutions our politics. Since perhaps Bill Clinton Americans have been stripped of the illusion of a noble leader. Yes, there was Nixon I know, but that did not start a trend because technology had not boomed into a technocracy yet.