So many "firsts" happening today. Here's another -- I actually agree with Karl Rove

[Ms. Toad]

7. Interesting. I had a disturbing conversations on Thursday and last Saturdays that make me less hopeful.

It's an n=20ish, so it may mean nothing. But it might.

I am completely overwhelmed by the news - almost to the point of immobilization. I assumed any educated friends/acquaintances would be as well.

The Thursday conversation was with a former law student of mine. He had zero idea who Abrego Garcia was, or that Trump was detaining and deporting people without due process. He was at least aware enough to have some sense that this Trump presidency was different. But it shocked me that any decent thinking person could be that oblivious. (To be fair, he has a lot on his mind these days. But still . . . how do you exist without being at least peripherally aware.)

The other wasn't as shocking- but was at least mildly surprising. It also involved a former student. He's created a salon, after the model of the French Salons, for social and cultural conversations. Based on the conversation, I'd guess 80% were on the liberal side of the spectrum. But when I talked about being overwhelmed, there was an almost "What are you talking about?" kind of silence.

There is a fair amount of chatter about people not being aware unless it impacts them directly - and then only being aware of the one of many things that have a direct impact. I know that's true for what I would call low education voters - but these conversations involved partly or mostly educated people - some of whom have multiple college degrees - who seem largely oblivious to everything that is so overwhelming to me.