This week's U.S. midterm election results, in which Democrats regained control of the House but were dealt a stiff setback in the Senate, proved less a blue wave than a light misting; hardly the wholesale repudiation of President Donald Trump that some had hoped for.

Old-school conservatives must now recognize and accept the effectiveness of modern online outreach. And if that means "owning" a few libs along the way, then so be it.

Humour certainly evolves, but the unseemly alliance of comedians, politicians and news media now flourishing flies contrary to the anti-establishment trails blazed by generations of comedians prior.

There are long-term consequences here. Each fantastical claim tweeted out to great fanfare and then quietly retracted hours later is one more hit against the reputation of news media

Rather than following the Japanese model and encouraging children to confidently take on new tasks, the trend in Canada is to leave them smothered and fearful.

After years on the defensive, conservatives are annexing some territory in America's troubling war of hurt feelings and faux outrage. The recent controversies over a Kathy Griffin stunt and a Julius Caesar production are only two such examples.

In just a few short months, Trump has done more to upend the established political order than progressives have in the past 30 years.