Jackie Gleason used to play a character called the Poor Soul. He walked with a slump and every step he took said, “I don’t deserve to be here.” I’ve been trying to figure out how a man who has the office of President and a cowering party that never calls him out can walk around like everyone is so mean to him.

We’re running out of teacups for President Trump’s tempests. He does love them. The poor man. People seem to be so mean to him. Most recently, of course, it was a gentle admonition at the National Cathedral, when a female Bishop pleaded with him for compassion and reassurance toward those who are afraid of his bully temper.

The reaction was predictable. As was said of Teddy Roosevelt, he is the bride at every wedding and the corpse at every funeral. And I might add, the victim of every slight. And so, somewhere in the middle of the night (good grief, does the man ever sleep?) came the inevitable string of criticism. “She must be a leftwing Trump hater, it was boring, she owes me an apology, etc.” then we all went to our social media again with friends who will never change their mind nor will we.

I would only observe that the prayer of Franklin Graham was equally political in the opposite direction at the inauguration. It was an endorsement cringeworthy of the court prophets of the Old Testament kings. And the outrage came from the opposite direction. Religion, like everything else in this polarized time, is split down the middle. What is interesting is that the outrage is amplified by social media and by the President’s manipulation of it to generate response.

This is a technique honed in the Information Age that would never have gone more than a day when there were newspapers. Now everyone is a commentator (here we are!). No post will ever end the response, and for politicians (and this President is the master of it), the outrage and constant discussion is the point. Nothing gets done except while we aren’t looking.

Opinions aren’t facts. Aristotle observed that they are somewhere between fact and ignorance. But now we a make our emotional reactions public and disputable. And he reaps endless attention, either as the persecuted Hero, standing up for his tribe, or the wounded victim, unfairly mistreated by the haters. And no one asks, “so was what she said unreasonable?” Mr. President, do the people she mentioned need not be afraid? If so, just answer her that no one needs to worry and defuse the criticism. You have all the power, not this woman preaching. But you didn’t. You used it to make your followers angry again, so they can condescend to those poor, misguided souls on the other team.

Meanwhile, the deeper questions are unaddressed. Is free speech limited? Should we have prayers at a secular inauguration for a President, who is not, after, a spiritual leader or religious authority in any sense? What is the appropriate separation of powers? Is dissent allowed? Are all entitled to the same protections? Do the poor need a little help to get up? On and on. But you would almost think the enemy of the nation is the other half that disagrees with my side.

Distraction is exactly what’s going on. Unless we don’t bite. And the news media, from MSNBC to Fox and Newsmax to lunatics on podcasts and social media, line up to keep it going. And Zuckerberg, Musk and corporations reap the profits. And Mr. Trump gets his free attention. Poor soul.

The faux outrage is the point. It always was.