It seems to me we're in the middle of an epidemic of meanness. But as far as I can see, Bill Maher had nothing to gain but a cheap laugh from his remark that the Ryder truck full of votes fulfilled our dream that O.J. Simpson might be found guilty of the murder of Katherine Harris.
Some jokes go beyond nasty to downright vile.
Even less did I like the politicians' wholesale abandonment of the cherished principle of respect for the courts. Both parties deliberately spread misinformation about the courts and the justices, which is bound to undermine their authority and legitimacy in future contentious cases. Their essential role has been to resolve conflicts between laws and mediate conflicts between different governmental bodies. In theory, they do it impartially, which means the nation is governed ultimately by law, not partisanship. In practice, of course, judges may be swayed by personal political beliefs, but I think it wholly unreasonable to accuse judges who'd dedicated their lives to the law of doing nothing more than twisting it to predetermined conclusions to serve their political masters.