The still-life watercolor of a now-late political season suddenly has changed.
You don't have to recall the lyrics of the 1966 Simon and Garfunkel song about the dangling conversation — from which the introductory line to this column is adapted — to know that, in a mere week's time, the American conversation has changed.
kAm%96 ?2E:@?2= 5:??6CE:>6 4@?G6CD2E:@? 92D >@G65 7C@> H96E96C y@6 q:56? H:== DE:4< :? E96 a_ac AC6D:56?E:2= C246 E@ 9@H z2>2=2 w2CC:D H:== A6C7@C> :? E92E 4@?E6DE] q:56? :D E96 4FC5=65 4C62> :? @FC 4@7766 D9@A 492EE6C] w2CC:D :D E96 7C6D9 3C6H]k^Am
kAm}@H E96 42>A2:8? :D E2<:?8 @? 2? 6?E:C6=J ?6H D92A6[ E2<:?8 :ED 7@C> :? 2 BF@E6 7C@> 2 a_a_ !:I2C 7:=> ?2>65[ A@:8?2?E=J[ Q~?H2C5Qi Q*@F ?665 E@ DE2CE E9:?<:?8 =6DD 23@FE E96 A2DE 2?5 >@C6 23@FE E96 7FEFC6]Q w6C6 2C6 D@>6 @7 E96 ?6H E@A:4D @7 4@?G6CD2E:@? E92E H@F=5 92G6 366? :?4@?46:G23=6 H96? x HC@E6 =2DE H66<VD 4@=F>?ik^Am
kAm• r2? 2 G:46 AC6D:56?E >2<6 E96 =62A E@ E96 (9:E6 w@FD6nk^Am
kAmw2CC:D :D ECJ:?8 E@ 36 >@C6 =:<6 v6@C86 w](] qFD9 WH9@ 5:5 ;FDE E92E :? E96 `hgg 6=64E:@?X 2?5 =6DD =:<6 #:492C5 }:I@? W`he_X[ wF36CE wF>A9C6J W`hegX 2?5 p= v@C6 Wa___X[ H9@ H6C6?VE 23=6 E@ >2<6 E96 5:C64E ;F>A] %96 <6J 7C@> E96 qFD9 6I2>A=6 :D E@ 36 :56?E:7:65 H:E9 E96 DEC@?8 A@:?ED @7 E96 D:EE:?8 AC6D:56?E] %96 <6J 7C@> E96 wF>A9C6J 6I2>A=6 :D E@ 36 7C66 @7 E96 H62< A@:?ED @7 E96 D:EE:?8 49:67 6I64FE:G6]k^Am
kAm• (9@ :D @=5nk^Am
kAm{2DE H66< :E H2D q:56?[ 2E g`] }@H :EVD s@?2=5 %CF>A[ 2E fg] %96 s6>@4C2ED 92G6 2 AC6DF>AE:G6 ?@>:?66 H9@ :D dh[ D@@? E@ 36 e_] %96 #6AF3=:42?D 92G6 2 ?@>:?66 H9@ DF556?=J =@@<D =:<6 E96 E:E=6 @7 2 3@@< E92E H2D AF3=:D965 H96? %CF>A H2D `_ J62CD @=5i Q~=5 *6==6C]Q |2J36 2E 286 `` 96 D2H s@C@E9J |4vF:C6 2?5 u6DD !2C<6C :? E96 >@G:6 G6CD:@?] w2CC:D H2D?VE 3@C? F?E:= D6G6? J62CD =2E6C] ~?6 @7 E96 E@A >@G:6D H96? D96 H2D `` H2D Q%96 ~E96C $:56 @7 E96 |@F?E2:?[Q 2? 2AE >6E2A9@C @7 H96C6 E96 s6>@4C2ED 36=:6G6 E96J 2C6 ?@H]k^Am
kAm• (92E 2C6 E96 :DDF6Dnk^Am
kAm%CF>A H:== 362E E96 D2>6 5CF>[ A6C92AD 6G6? H:E9 =6DD C6DEC2:?Ei E96 a_a_ 6=64E:@? 7C2F5 E92E 96 D66>D E@ 92G6 4@?G:?465 2? 6?E:C6 A2CEJ H2D 2E H@C< 7@FC J62CD 28@j E96 ?@E:@? E92E E96 s6>@4C2ED 2C6 q@=D96G:<D :? H2:E:?8j E96 =682= 4C:>6D @7 9:D @AA@?6?ED 2?5 E96 >@C2= 4C:>6D @7 E96 25>:?:DEC2E:@?j 2?5 — 2 AC65:4E:@?P — 2 DF886DE:@? E92E w2CC:D[ H9@ H:== 6>A92D:K6 E92E D96 H2D 2 AC@D64FE@C :? r2=:7@C?:2[ 6>A=@J65 E9@D6 D<:==D E@ ?F586 E96 yFDE:46 s6A2CE>6?E E@ A6CD64FE6 9:>] ~?6 >@C6 AC65:4E:@?i %CF>A H:== C6DFD4:E2E6 @?6 @7 E96 >@DE 67764E:G6 A9C2D6D 7C@> >@56C? A@=:E:4D — y62?6 z:C<A2EC:4<VD E2F?E 23@FE H24<J[ @FE\@7\E@F49 Q$2? uC2?4:D4@ s6>@4C2EDQ — 2?5 2:> :E 2E w2CC:D]k^Am
kAmu@C 96C A2CE[ w2CC:D H:== E2=< 23@FE 23@CE:@?[ 2?5 E96? D96 H:== E2=< 23@FE 23@CE:@? D@>6 >@C6] $96 H:== ECJ E@ A6CDF256 E96 F?A6CDF2523=6D E92E E96 64@?@>J :D 36EE6C E92? E96J 36=:6G6 :E :D]k^Am
kAm{2E6=J D96 92D 366? E2=<:?8 23@FE 49:=5 42C6j A6C92AD D96 2?E:4:A2E65 E96 6>6C86?46 @7 2 a_a` y]s] '2?46 C:77 :? H9:49 96 A@:?E65 @FE E92E E96 G:46 AC6D:56?E 5:5?VE 92G6 49:=5C6? 2?5 E9FD H2D?VE H6==\DF:E65 7@C ?2E:@?2= =6256CD9:A] %96 v~! G:46\AC6D:56?E:2= ?@>:?66 — 4:E:?8 w2CC:D[ %C2?DA@CE2E:@? $64C6E2CJ !6E6 qFEE:8:68 2?5 #6A] p=6I2?5C:2 ~42D:@\r@CE6K — D2:5 E96 4@F?ECJ H2D 36:?8 =65 3J s6>@4C2ED H9@ H6C6 Q2 3F?49 @7 49:=5=6DD 42E =25:6D H9@ 2C6 >:D6C23=6 2E E96:C @H? =:G6D 2?5 E96 49@:46D E92E E96JVG6 >256 2?5 D@ E96J H2?E E@ >2<6 E96 C6DE @7 E96 4@F?ECJ >:D6C23=6[ E@@]Qk^Am
kAm• w@H 5@6D w2CC:D 42>A2:8? H:E9@FE 36:?8 q:56? :? 2 A2?EDF:Enk^Am
kAmu:CDE @7 2==[ 96C :56?E:EJ 5:776C6?E:2E6D 96C] %92EVD 2 A@D:E:G6 :? >2?J @7 E96 DH:?8 DE2E6D[ 2?5 E@ E96 6IE6?E E92E :E :D 2 ?682E:G6[ :EVD >@DE=J 4@?7:?65 E@ A=246D H96C6 E96 s6>@4C2ED 92G6 ?@ >@C6 9@A6 @7 H:??:?8 E92? E96 r9:428@ (9:E6 $@I[ H9@ 92G6 =@DE 23@FE E9C66\BF2CE6CD @7 E96:C 82>6D E9:D J62C]k^Am
kAm• (92E 23@FE 5632E6Dnk^Am
kAm%CF>A D9@H65 9:D 62D6 2?5 >2DE6CJ :? E96 yF?6 af 5632E6[ H96? 96 @776C65 2 96=A:?8 92?5 E@ q:56?VD C@FE6 E@ E96 6I:E C2>A] w6 H2D A=2??:?8 @? 2?@E96C @?6 7@C $6AE6>36C[ H:E9 E96 7@?56DE 9@A6 E92E 96 >:89E J6E 282:? EC:F>A9 @G6C q:56?] %92EVD @3G:@FD=J ?@E 8@:?8 E@ 92AA6?] s6=:G6C:?8 2 <?@4<\@FE AF?49 E@ w2CC:D :D?VE 8@:?8 E@ 36 2D 62DJ] $96 ?62C=J 56=:G6C65 @?6 E@ q:56? :? 2 a_`h 5632E6 @G6C 3FD:?8 E@ 249:6G6 D49@@= 56D68C682E:@?]k^Am
kAmqFE 2 AC6D:56?E:2= 5632E6 :D?VE E96 @?=J :E6> @? E96 a_ac 7:89E 42C5] '2?46 H2D AC:>65 E@ E2?8=6 H:E9 w2CC:D] }@H 96V== 92G6 2 5:776C6?E @AA@?6?E] p?@E96C DFC6 E9:?8 E9C@H? @FE E96 H:?5@H :? 2 H66<VD E:>6]k^Am
kAm• (9@ H:== 42AEFC6 E96 q=24< G@E6nk^Am
kAmu@C >@?E9D[ %CF>A 2?5 D@>6 A@==DE6CD 92G6 DF886DE65 E92E q=24< G@E6CD[ D:?46 `hba 2? :>A@CE2?E A2CE @7 E96 s6>@4C2E:4 4@2=:E:@?[ H6C6 AC:>65 E@ =@@< 2E E96 #6AF3=:42?D H:E9 2? @A6? >:?5] x?5665[ %CF>A 92D @A6?65 2 >:?: @776?D:G6 :? E96 q=24< 4@>>F?:EJ[ 2?5 E96 v~! 4@?G6?E:@? D9@?6 2 DA@E=:89E @? >2?J q=24< 7246D]k^Am
kAm%92EVD @G6C] %96 AC6D6?46 @7 2 q=24< H@>2? 2E E96 9625 @7 E96 s6>@4C2E:4 E:4<6E 2== 3FE 2DDFC6D E92E p7C:42? p>6C:42?D — H9@ 3J D@>6 6DE:>2E6D AC@G:565 E96 >2C8:? @7 G:4E@CJ 7@C y@9? u] z6??65J :? `he_ :? 2? 2DE@?:D9:?8 `` DE2E6D — H:== C6EFC? E@ E96 7C:6?5=J 4@?7:?6D @7 E96 s6>@4C2E:4 !2CEJ] p?5 367@C6 J@F 2D< H96E96C w2CC:D H:== 92G6 2 D:>:=2C 67764E @? 76>2=6 G@E6CD[ E96 @E96C C6=:23=6 3C:4< :? E96 s6>@4C2E:4 7@F?52E:@?[ E96 2?DH6C :D J6D[ D96 H:==]k^Am
kAm• (9@VD E96 3:886C E9C62E E@ 56>@4C2E:4 G2=F6Dnk^Am
kAmq:56? DA6?E 2 8@@5 562= @7 9:D AC6D:56?4J 2C8F:?8 E92E %CF>A — H9@ EC:65 E@ @G6CEFC? E96 a_a_ 6=64E:@?[ 92D G@H65 E@ 36 2 5:4E2E@C Q7@C @?6 52J[Q 2?5 =:<6=J H:== 4@?E6DE 2?J 6=64E:@? C6EFC?D E92E 5@?VE A=246 9:> 2D E96 H:??6C — :D E96 F=E:>2E6 E9C62E]k^Am
kAm%CF>A ?@H 92D EFC?65 E96 BF6DE:@? 2C@F?5] r@>:?8 E@ E96 5676?D6 @7 q:56? — 96C6 :D AC@@7 E92E 2?JE9:?8 42? 92AA6? :? E9:D 42>A2:8? — E96 7@C>6C AC6D:56?E 2C8F65 E92E 6=64E:@? 7C2F5 H2D D@ 566A E92E[ 2D 96 AFE :E @? 9:D %CFE9 $@4:2= >65:2 D:E6[ Q%96J DE@=6 E96 C246 7C@> q:56? 27E6C 96 H@? :E :? E96 AC:>2C:6D — p u:CDEP[Q 255:?8[ Q%96D6 A6@A=6 2C6 E96 C62= %w#tp% %~ st|~r#pr*PQk^Am
kAm}@H J@F 42? D2J E92E J@FVG6 D66? 6G6CJE9:?8]k^Am
kAms2G:5 |] $9C:3>2? :D E96 7@C>6C 6I64FE:G6 65:E@C @7 E96 !:EED3FC89 !@DE\v2K6EE6] w6 42? 36 C624965 2E k2 9C67lQ>2:=E@i5D9C:3>2?oA@DE\82K6EE6]4@>Qm5D9C:3>2?oA@DE\82K6EE6]4@>k^2m[ @C 7@==@H 9:> @? %H:EE6C 2E $9C:3>2?!v] %96 !F=:EK6C !C:K6\H:??:?8 ;@FC?2=:DE 92D 2 G242E:@? 9@>6 :? z62CD2C86]k^Am

(0) comments
Welcome to the discussion.
Log In
Keep it Clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language.
PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.
Don't Threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated.
Be Truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone or anything.
Be Nice. No racism, sexism or any sort of -ism that is degrading to another person.
Be Proactive. Use the 'Report' link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts.
Share with Us. We'd love to hear eyewitness accounts, the history behind an article.