Beyond satire

I had written the bones of a piece in anticipation of last night’s presidential debate. My plan was to have my overall idea fleshed out before the debate, and then fill in the details as they unfolded in real time. My conceit was relatively lighthearted, and I expected to be able to flesh it out with substantive matter.

That is not what came to pass. Watching the debate, it became instantly clear that it was too dark for a light take. Too shameful for parody. Too unbelievable for the type of satire I had planned.

I abandoned the piece and instead opened another beer. Poured one out for me, and another for my struggling nation.