Both, actually. At the age of 10, in 1978, Mr. Volokh took the Math “Aptitude” SAT and scored 780 out of 800. He graduated from UCLA at 15, later graduated from UCLA Law, and now teaches there, and also runs the estimable, largely libertarian “Volokh Conspiracy” website. Here is what someone who is quite reasonably entitled to be called a genius has to say about the impending departure of Donald Trump from the White House:
In the sweep of world history, peaceful but unhappy transfers of power have been very difficult to arrange, but somehow the British and we and then most of the rest of the West have gotten the hang of them.
That's bigger than one man, whatever his personality might be. And indeed, that the system works with the sore losers is ultimately a greater testament to it than its working with the gracious ones. True, it's not Jan. 20 yet. But my prediction is that (setting aside the surface matters related to the epidemic) it will be a Jan. 20 of an inauguration year much like any other.
Ah, yes, in the broad sweep of world history, the loud noise that is Donald Trump will soon fade into silence, and, despite his “indubitably unusual and troublesome character traits”, will soon be forgotten. Nothing to see here, folks. Move along, move along.
It is “curious” to me, that, on the right, some conservatives instantly recognized Donald Trump as the moral monster that he, well, indubitably is—Mona Charon and Jay Nordlinger, for example—while more than a few fell madly in love, while most of the rest took a sort of wait and see attitude. “Sure, he’s tacky, but he’s bound to shake things up. And now that he’s leaving, well, you liberals got your wish. So stop complaining!”
That, basically, is Gene’s rap, which leaves me more than a little gobsmacked. It’s amazing to me that a man who has dedicated his life, one would say, to the rule of law, can be so cavalier about a man who is the very antithesis of the rule of law, who has pardoned murderers and those accused of murder, on the grounds that American soldiers have an unrestricted license to kill “foreigners”, who has lied endlessly and very largely convinced the rank and file of the Republican Party that any reverse it suffers is the result of an insidious “conspiracy”. Because otherwise how could we lose? That proves it!
Donald Trump will leave office, and very good riddance indeed, but the damage he did will linger, and we will be lucky if it does not fester and break out again with even greater virulence. I just posted a longish piece on conservative irresponsibility, Some “conservatives” are whistling past the graveyard of American democracy; others are busy swinging a shovel, and now Gene sends me back to the keyboard. Cut me some slack, “conservatives”, and get a clue!
Well, you certainly predicted that one! They got the clue but did not do anything about it. Hence yesterday.