It’s hard to remember who we were as a people just two or three weeks ago. The tempo of life has slowed even as the pace of events quickens, flattening the days that bleed into one another without clear definition. We dwell on those formless days; the future is insecure and speculating on it is suddenly a dreadful prospect. But to remember who we were only a month ago is a fortifying experience because it is not who we are today.

Ours was a nation that, in good times, sent a gameshow host to the White House. But we were not any more sober in periods of hardship and uncertainty. Even amid a historic financial meltdown, we elected a president whose chief qualification was being a florid orator. We send to Congress representatives who chafe at the modest weight of their mission, and for whom prospects for advancement are measured in cable-television segments rather than legislative achievements.