What will a Hillary Clinton presidency look like? The answer by now seems obvious: It will look like her presidential campaign, which in turn looks increasingly like the first Clinton presidency. Which is to say, high-minded ideals, lowered execution, half truths, outright lies (and imaginary flights), take-no prisoners politics, some very good policy ideas, a presidential spouse given to wallowing in anger and self-pity, and a succession of aides and surrogates pushed under the bus when things don't go right. Which is to say, often.

For the first time, the weird and the stupid and the coarse are becoming our cultural norms, even our cultural ideal.

Good journalism should challenge people, not just mindlessly amuse them.

Today, ordinary Americans are being stuffed with garbage.

Even at the end of a presidential election campaign, we have no way to know what Mitt Romney really believes.

You can't serve the public good without the truth as a bottom line.

The lowest form of popular culture - lack of information, misinformation, disinformation, and a contempt for the truth or the reality of most people's lives - has overrun real journalism.