One would think, from listening to him, that persuading the elected government of Gaza to refrain from trying to murder another Jew between sunrise and lunchtime on Friday was an historic accomplishment. Which, I suppose, given Muslim antisemitic hatred, might actually be true.

In the event, the cease-fire lasted 90 minutes: it’s just that hard not to want to kill a Jew. Hamas started blowing things up and kidnapping people even before the Nobel committee had a chance to notify the Secretary of the prize no doubt being prepared for him. So the war is on again: all the effort has achieved nothing — and perhaps cost the life of one captured Israeli prisoner.

John Kerry is a buffoon. He’s always been a buffoon. I’m from New Mexico, home of the annual Balloon Fiesta, and I’ve never seen as big a gasbag as John Kerry. He’s a pretentious vacuum, an inept pomposity, a fatuous boor. Everyone knows that.

Everyone, apparently, except the President, who somehow thought it would be prudent and sensible to appoint not one but two Secretaries of State completely lacking in the qualities required of the representative of American foreign policy in an increasingly dangerous world.

Two more years of embarrassing incompetence. America will survive. Hundreds of thousands, perhaps millions, in less fortunate countries — Libya, Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan, Egypt, who knows where else? — will suffer and die, as American leadership continues its global retreat.