Come Heller high water: The presidential election edition …

* It was silly and typical for Trump and others to say the post-election protests were “unfair” or un-American. Peaceful protest is as American as you can get. On the other hand, as I watched footage of the protesters I couldn’t help but wonder how many of them actually voted. Here’s the thing, millennials and others: The problem with elections is you actually have to participate in them to get your way. (That concludes today’s civics lesson.)

* You won’t catch me moaning (much) about the outcome, in part because, while he and his cronies may destroy the country, the world and the universe  as we know it (I took my hysterical pill early today, clearly), at least Trump will be excellent column fodder. I figure Democrats got what they had coming – they put up their worst possible candidate against the Republican’s worst possible candidate and their worst possible candidate managed to stink a little less. That’s how it goes. As Tom Hanks told the ladies in “A League of their Own” “There’s no crying in baseball.”

* Voter turnout is one of the biggest teardrops dripping down the faces of Dems. But it’s a crocodile tear. According to the U.S. Elections Project, this year’s presidential turnout was about 58.1 percent, about the same as 2012 and well above the 54.2 percent rate of the century’s first decade. Reality stinks, doesn’t it?

* If you want a real accessory to the crime for the rise of Trump, blame CNN and the other networks. They helped him defeat his Republican challengers early on with gobs of free air time that wasn’t warranted by his position in the race. And they continued doling out free air throughout the general election. All told, he received $5.6 billion in “earned media” compared to $3.5 billion for Clinton, according to Mediaquant. It was so bad and so lopsided that CNN President Jeff Zucker said last month, “If we made any mistake last year, it’s that we probably did put on too many of his campaign rallies in those early months and let them run. Listen, because you never knew what he would say, there was an attraction to put those on air.” Sure, most of what Trump said was outrageous and genuinely disturbing, but that only proves that America loves a good show. It also proves, to me at least, that Americans clearly didn’t think the show’s lead actor didn’t mean the mean, horrible things he said. To them he was just acting. Because that’s what actors do.

* Hold on. Trump  says “give me a chance” and “I’ll be a president for all Americans” and then hires Steve Bannon — a veritable rock star in the world of hate and intolerance — as his top advisor? What am I supposed to do with that? That’s essentially a giant middle finger to at least half of America, is it not?

* So if Trump spends half his presidency living in Trump Tower, do you think he’ll rent out the Lincoln Bedroom on AirBNB? Would you put it past him?

* And, finally, I notice Hillary says now says FBI Director Jim Comey cost her the election, proving  beyond all doubt that Hillary Clinton cost Hillary Clinton the election.

* “If voting made any difference they wouldn’t let us do it.” –Mark Twain.