Activists measure progress against the standard of perfection, or at least the most perfect possible choice. Historians gauge progress against what came before it.
Jonathan ChaitIt's pretty clear that Hillary Clinton was a deeply, deeply flawed alternative. She had the wrong combination of the internal political chops to muscle out all the mainstream nominations from the field, leaving only Bernie Sanders, who was unacceptable to the Democrats' party establishment. But she also had a real lack of political skill that would enable her to win the general election.
Jonathan ChaitConservatives are much more comfortable supporting the leader who's in power than liberals.
Jonathan ChaitThere's an element of clowning and entertainment to Trump, that makes it surreal and hard to understand to what extent he is pretending to be a fascist or an authoritarian.
Jonathan Chait