Well, yes, it has gotten too intense over the past couple decades... indeed gladiatorial (Thanks Newt, says I sarcastically). The competition between politicians used to be more like... well... the game show Jeopardy, and the smartest would win... and the stakes was just money (tax the rich to help the poor... or not). Now though it is much more truly life and death policy issues.

But I do feel Harris has hit upon a strategy to combat the "burn it all down" people: Laugh at them, thereby shrink them down to size, and then ask everyone else wouldn't you like to move on? The haters will be unmoved of course, but the "hater adjacent" are getting tired too, methinks, and might want to move on...

Yeah, a lot is at stake, and I do know you might not share my optimism (and I do respect your viewpoint, as you have made the case well in other compositions) but... I just have a gut feeling... her "turn the page" is what will get us a collective shift in a better direction. Not solve everything, of course. But begin the process.