Into the arena

Abraham Lincoln on Ulysses S. Grant: "As early as 1862 when Grant received criticism for the heavy losses at Shiloh, Lincoln responded, "I can't spare this man, he fights!"

Bret Stephens in the New York Times (!): "For Once, I’m Grateful for Trump."

I’m grateful because Trump has not backed down in the face of the slipperiness, hypocrisy and dangerous standard-setting deployed by opponents of Brett Kavanaugh’s nomination to the Supreme Court. I’m grateful because ferocious and even crass obstinacy has its uses in life, and never more so than in the face of sly moral bullying. I’m grateful because he’s a big fat hammer fending off a razor-sharp dagger.

The mainstream media fell to their fainting couch again: "But his temperament!" they sobbed, "so unpresidential."