The Donald is the bad boy of American politics.

The thought occurred to me the day after the absurd comedy that was the alleged debate between Donald Trump and Joe Biden on Tuesday night.

Yes, I laughed and laughed while I was watching it. OK, I had consumed a small quantity of cannabis edibles — legal here in Quebec, in case anyone cares.

So, the whole thing came off as a cross between an over-the-top SNL or Monty Python skit and the old propaganda film Reefer Madness — which people of a certain generation watched after imbibing some sativa and had a good laugh.

Joe Biden was right: Trump is a clown. And clowns make you laugh.

Of course, beneath it all, it’s no laughing matter for anyone who respects the political process in a democracy.

But it was the kind of performance people have come to expect from Trump, who seems to have little respect for traditional U.S. politics. He’s a rebel who is not afraid to give his many detractors the middle finger.

And that appeals to other rebels who have little use for politicians, i.e. “new boss same as the old boss.” Not in Trump’s case, though. He is one of a kind.

The coming election is not so much a vote for the presidency but a vote on the democratic process itself, I think. People voting for Trump are giving that process the middle finger.

Or else they’re stoned out of their trees and they want the laughs to continue for another four years.

— Jillian