THEY KEEP TELLING US THAT TRUMP IS CRAZY, AND THEN THEY KEEP ACTING . . . CRAZIER: The Democrats’ No Good, Frivolous, Ridiculous Day.

We hear a lot about norms these days. We live in a time when alleged pre-existing norms of decency, civility, and respect are being cast aside for the sake of “winning.” The ends justify the means, and a dignified loser is just that: a loser. There is a real sense that we’re losing something irreplaceable, a shared respect that once allowed partisans to battle over ideas while remaining bound together as citizens of the world’s greatest constitutional republic.

John McCain’s funeral this weekend was supposed to have reminded us of these national values, to have pricked our consciences. It was an occasion for the Washington establishment to unite in the face of an angry, temperamental president and say, “Enough! There is dignity in public service and advocacy. There is a better way.”

Unfortunately, it appears that all too much of the talk about norms and civility and decency is just another weapon of convenience, to be dropped the moment it is perceived to pave the path of defeat. Just look at the disgusting spectacle that was day one (and the opening of day two) of Brett Kavanaugh’s confirmation hearing.

Before I continue, let me remind you that Kavanaugh is the opposite of a norm-violating, civility-straining, Trumpist jurist. He is the very definition of a GOP-establishment lawyer. He would be a front-runner for a SCOTUS nomination in any Republican administration. He is not only solidly within the mainstream of originalist legal thought, he’s so respected across the aisle that Elena Kagan hired him to teach at Harvard Law School.

In other words, throughout his career, Kavanaugh has helped maintain norms rather than violating them. He’s the living embodiment of the kind of person — and the kind of politics — that Democrats now claim they miss in the age of Trump.

Yet yesterday, from the top down, from senators to protesters to online trolls, the Democrats offered a preview of how they’d react to any Republican nominee, and it was a shining example of how and why conservatives don’t believe for one moment that Donald Trump is the sole source of American dysfunction.

Trump is the symptom, not the cause. He’s a big, fat “you suck!” aimed at the establishment, which has responded by . . . sucking even harder.

I JUST WANT TO POINT OUT IT WOULD BE WRONG TO LET PEOPLE THIS INSANE GET NEAR ANY POWER AT ALL:  Zina Bash was filmed in a sound stage at Area 51.  This November, vote.  As late as you can (it helps if they don’t know how many votes they need to manufacture) and as securely as you can.

INDEED?  OH, MY STARS AND GARTERS. DON’T THROW ME IN THAT BRIAR PATCH B’RER RABBIT:  NJ Dems Warn That Justice Kavanaugh Could Undermine Gun Control.

IT’S LIKE A BAD FAIRY TALE: THE COMMIE AND THE CAMERA HOG:  David Hogg, Bill De Blasio Team Up To Form Anti-Gun Group.

THIS IS MY SHOCKED FACE:  Spain: another known wolf.

BUT YOU DON’T UNDERSTAND, PEASANT.  ALL YOUR MONEYS ARE BELONG TO THEM:  The media continue to report the fake news that Trump’s tax cuts blew a big hole in the budget.

IT WILL BE SURPRISING IF HE DOESN’T.  MORE SURPRISING IF IT MAKES ANY SENSE:   Does Mueller Have an October Surprise?

NAH.  IT’S THE NTE PARTY  “NEVER TAXED ENOUGH”:  Is this the Democratic version of the Tea Party?

TOO SCARY TO BE FUNNY:  The Democrat Clown Show.

THE FASCISTS SELF-IDENTIFY:   Car Ramming Attack on Dallas Fox Affiliate After ‘Meet the Press’ Host Says to ‘Fight Back’ Against Fox News.

BUT I THOUGHT THEY SELF IDENTIFIED AS UNBELIEVABLY COWARDLY?  New York Times’ ‘Inside’ Attack on Trump Unbelievably Cowardly.

TWEET OF THE DAY, FROM HARVARD LAWPROF ADRIAN VERMEULE:

INTERVIEW: Jim Meigs and Richard Davies talk to Jonathan Haidt about his new book (with Greg Lukianoff), The Coddling of the American Mind: How Good Intentions and Bad Ideas Are Setting Up a Generation for Failure.

YES:

FLORIDA: DeSantis to name Nuñez as Florida’s first Cuban-American female running mate.

OPEN THREAD: Happy Hump Day.

AT AMAZON, Fall Savings in Garden & Outdoors.

REMEMBER, THE TROUBLE WITH WASHINGTON IS THAT TRUMP IS CRAZY:

MUGGERIDGE’S LAW MEETS THE UNITED ARAB EMIRATES: Vanilla Ice was onboard the United Arab Emirates flight quarantined today at JFK.

As Tom Wolfe once wrote, quoting Malcolm Muggeridge, “We live in an age in which it is no longer possible to be funny. There is nothing you can imagine, no matter how ludicrous, that will not promptly be enacted before your very eyes, probably by someone well known.”

NICK GILLESPIE: Anonymous Tell-Alls in The New York Times Are More a Threat To the Republic than Trump: The president may well be unprincipled, ignorant, and awful, but he was, well, elected fair and square. “Exactly the same sort of thing, albeit in softer form, could be said about any White House. There are always factions and cross-currents. How many members of George W. Bush’s administration, for instance, really gave a shit about their boss’ desire after re-election to enact immigration and Social Security reform? Zero. The Obama White House was riven by differences over health-care plans and foreign-policy disputes as well. Read any history of the Reagan years and you’ll find that it was amazing that anything ever got done given all the in-fighting. Bill Clinton actually had officials resign over policy differences. It’s patently absurd to elevate frictions within the Trump White House to an existential threat to the Republic. In fact, it’s the sort of overstatement that is worthy of, well, Donald Trump, who just doesn’t do nuance.”

The more they tell us Trump’s crazy, the crazier they act. Meanwhile lefties are starting to push the 25th Amendment again — it’s like they’re cycling now — and I have to say, if you think removing Trump will leave you in a better position, well, it won’t. Getting rid of Trump won’t return things to “normal.” It will make sure things are never normal in our lifetimes.

But why do I bother? These people are crazy.

WILL BAUDE: “I confess that I have previously mocked the idea that judicial confirmation hearings can be a good tool of public education, and I might have been too hasty to do so. This afternoon I happened to tune in to a discussion between Senator Mike Lee and Judge Brett Kavanaugh that highlighted very well several important principles of constitutional law. It just might be worth showing to entering law students.”

YOU SHOULDN’T BE EATING THESE SUGAR BOMBS ANYWAY: Don’t Eat Any Honey Smacks Cereal, CDC Warns As Salmonella Outbreak Continues.

L.A. TIMES: No, anonymous Trump official, you’re not ‘part of the resistance.’ You’re a coward.

BREAKING: ACTOR TAKES DAY JOB — and Jim Treacher is on it.

ZEROING IN ON FRAUD? OR USING VOTING RECORDS TO FIND ILLEGAL ALIENS? ICE Investigators Order 44 North Carolina Counties To Turn Over Voting Records. Well, since it’s voter fraud for illegals to vote, I guess they’re kind of the same thing.