America's complexion is clearly changing. "I think it is great," Will said. "Some people don't."
Then there is the gap between college-educated Americans, who have very high levels of employment, and the rest. Many who didn't get far in college have just reason to believe the modern economy has no real place for them.
"If Hillary Clinton wins, it will be because of college-educated white women and because she carries all college-educated white people," Will said. In the past, this group has gone Republican.
Which brought Will to the subject of the Donald. Will has called Trump an "ignoramus" and a "vulgarian" and Trump has called Will a "loser" and far worse. In June, Trump's attacks upon an Indiana judge he called "Mexican" prompted Will to change his registration from Republican to "unaffiliated."
Yesterday, Will was more measured. Come next Monday's debate, Clinton will try to "detonate" Trump, who won't have a teleprompter.
Trump's advisors have been telling him "to restrain his persona, but his persona is what got him there," Will explained. That is like asking Keith Richards and Mick Jagger of the Rolling Stones "to play chamber music."
Will then speculated on why Trump won't release his tax returns. First, he probably isn't nearly as rich as he claims. Second, he isn't as charitable as he says. Third, his tax returns might expose close ties to odious Russian oligarchs. As an aside, the revelations about both the Trump and Clinton foundations have illuminated much detail about the grimy underbelly of the charity world, but that's me talking.
So, why isn't Will voting for either party's nominee? "I think my conservative credentials are in pretty good order," he said, noting that he voted for Goldwater and was chosen by William F. Buckley Jr. as National Review's first Washington, D.C., editor.
"Not voting is an expression of opinion," he declared. He may write in for Mitch Daniels or Ben Sasse or another serious conservative but doesn't consider Libertarian candidate Gary ("Where is Aleppo?") Johnson serious. "Third parties are like wasps; they sting and die."
If elected, Trump would have the power to unilaterally impose tariffs on imports and tell Americans what they will pay for them. Trump has promised "to be on a par with Hillary Clinton" when it comes to executive orders.
Neither candidate has addressed America's unfunded, unsustainable entitlement system. In fact, both want more and bigger entitlements.
Clinton wants to strengthen Social Security and to prop up crumbling Obamacare by adding a public option. Trump wants to create a new entitlement—six weeks paid maternity leave. Not to be outdone, Clinton's campaign promptly declared they would double it to 12 weeks.
"They are in exact agreement," Will said. Don't talk about the problem, just make it worse.
Then there is foreign policy. Will called the invasion of Iraq the "worst foreign policy mistake in American history" and estimated that we've only "paid for 20 percent of it." Clinton supported that until the polls turned against the war.
But what if some hot-headed ship captain in the South China Sea fires a missile? Will thinks Trump's reaction could be truly scary. Clinton could do almost everything wrong but "she won't blow up the world."
Who is responsible for this terrible choice, the American public or the media?
The media gave Trump an estimated $2 billion in free publicity. There is no question people liked watching Trump. He is "as entertaining as a trainwreck," Will said.
That's why he blames the American people. Both candidates reflect what they want on Social Security and Medicare.
It's understandable why many people, particularly those who didn't attend college, are all teed off. "If I hadn't [had a real] raise in 40 years, I'd be cranky too."
What about the Supreme Court? Conservatives think it matters terribly, but Will predicted Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg will remain there until "she is 120."
Trump produced a list of 12 conservative jurists handed to him by the Federalist Society and then revealed his ignorance for the umpteenth time, saying his sister, a respected Federal judge, signed the same bill as Justice Samuel Alito. "Justices don't sign bills," Will said. "The Republicans have nominated a candidate who can't pass a 4th grade civics test."
How did the Republicans wind up with Trump? First, America has totally blurred the lines between governance and the Kardashian's world. Second, they had 17 candidates, so name recognition alone gave Trump the ability to start out with 25% of the vote. Third, many non-Republicans were able to vote in Republican primaries and most of them went for the Donald.
Will thinks the party may address that last problem in 2020. But he also thinks Trump may have opened the door for far smarter, much richer celebrities like Mark Cuban to run for president.
Asked before his talk if he could discern any rays of sunshine, Will replied, "You are asking the wrong guy."
As for the outcome of the election, he predicted whoever wins, their honeymoon will be over by noon on Wednesday, Nov. 9.