I want to separate out the nonsense of the Kathy Griffins and Ted Nugents of the world from stuff that really matters. Show business people are, for the most part, self-indulgent children, and the fact that technology gives them all kinds of platforms these days doesn't mean they are worth paying attention to.

But what elected officials say and do does matter. I'm not so naive as to believe there ever was a time in U.S. history when politicians were governed by either civility or honesty, but the wildcard today is the immediate impact their words can have, and rarely for good.

Trump's insomnia-driven tweets aren't harmless. One stupid comment from him at 4 a.m. can dominate the news cycle for the next 24 hours, putting Democrats into response mode and Republicans into damage control mode. And while all that's happening, the work of the country isn't getting done.

This president's lack of personal discipline exhausts Congress, the media and the nation. And that's not a good thing.

Labels: moderation: toxicity, insult