Unfortunately, Emperor Claudius' tendency to limp, cough up mucus, and haltingly whisper has re-appeared at the least possibly opportune time. Biden may be the candidate with superior moral integrity, but he is easily the least charismatic President since Carter. Republican Presidents might be consistently psychopathic, but they know how to project the sort of dynamic paternalism that the American people want; and compared with that, integrity means nothing to them.

I have said it before, and I will say it again. Whenever there is a Republican Presidency, every autocrat, every dictator, every corrupt police officer, every tyrant and bully and thug of whatever kind, at whatever level, everywhere on the planet, feels emboldened and empowered, because they know that one of their own is in the White House. There has never been a Republican President with whom that has been, or will be more true, than Donald J. Trump.