There are those who like what the President is doing, and those who don’t. But whichever side one takes, arguing about his character or sanity is of only limited use. The problem is, such attacks on the person serve to lead us away from the issues.

Seeing behavior as the acting out of a crazy person diverts us from the behavior itself. Just one example. Wise manipulators know how to lead us into thinking something is acceptable by exposing us first to the unacceptable. So, the first executive order banning immigration led to chaos and – fortunately from my point of view – active resistance. The next one will seem calm and well considered – much “saner” by comparison — moving us in the direction of seeing the idea of the ban itself as closer to normal and acceptable.

And there you have an effective strategy. Like the fictional college…