This election isn’t just Democrat vs. Republican. It’s normal vs. abnormal. Ezra Klein

[Bill USA]

http://www.vox.com/2016/7/28/12281222/trump-clinton-conventions

The Democratic Party’s convention was a normal political party’s convention. The party nominated Hillary Clinton, a longtime party member with deep experience in government. Clinton was endorsed by Bernie Sanders, the runner-up in the primary. Barack Obama, the sitting president, spoke in favor of Clinton. Various Democratic luminaries gave speeches endorsing Clinton by name. The assembled speakers criticized the other party’s nominee, arguing that he would be a bad president and should be defeated at the polls.

That isn’t to say that Democrats didn’t show divisions or expose fault lines. They did. Political parties are chaotic things. The Democratic Party’s primary was unusually bitter, and listening to the loud "boos" of Sanders’s most committed supporters, there’s real reason to wonder whether Democrats will fracture in coming years. But for now, the Democrats nominated a normal candidate, held a normal convention, and remain a normal political party.

Republicans held an abnormal convention and nominated an abnormal candidate

The Republican Party’s convention was not a normal political party’s convention. The party nominated Donald Trump, a new member with literally no experience in government. Ted Cruz, the runner-up in the primary, gave a primetime speech in which he refused to endorse Trump, and instead told Americans to "vote your conscience."

The Republican Party’s two living presidents, George W. Bush and George H.W. Bush, declined to endorse Trump or attend the convention. The party’s previous two presidential nominees, Mitt Romney and John McCain, declined to endorse Trump or attend the convention. The assembled speakers — including Chris Christie, a prospective attorney general — argued that the other party’s nominee was a criminal who should be thrown in jail.
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[nomorenomore08]

1. Absolutely spot-on. Things are far beyond any concept of "normal" at this point.

I know folks are tired of voting for the lesser of two evils, but in this case, we really have no choice. Everything possible within the law, needs to be done to keep Trump out of the White House.

[Nitram]

2. Sane vs insane. Cool vs whacko. Chill vs batshit crazy.