I completely agree with you, except the part about the "smirking jerk" The Jerk sat there looking sort of like he'd been slapped, as indeed he verbally had. Perhaps it will finally dawn on him just how extremely wrong he has been. But probably not.

We watched the Inauguration live at work, and my boss didn't stop watching until the Jerk was on the helicopter and it had lifted off, because she wanted to be sure he was really gone.