July 19, 2017 at 4:28 p.m.
Being right isn't much consolation
Back in the Saddle
This is not a column about Donald Trump.
This is a column about why I am not writing about Donald Trump. Unless I have to.
Last fall, shortly before the election I wrote a column about the pros and cons of newspaper editorial endorsements. And in that column I explained why our newspapers had pretty much put the idea of endorsements out to pasture.
But at the same time, I expressed the personal opinion — not an editorial statement by the newspaper — that I did not believe Donald Trump was fit to be president. To be precise, I said that he would be a stain on the presidency.
I spelled out the reasons why: His misogyny, his race-baiting, his demeanor, and his temperament among others.
And I tried to explain, in the column, the difference between a column like this, which can be very personal, and an editorial, which tries to set a community agenda and build consensus and speaks for the newspaper as a whole.
The immediate reaction was two cancelled subscriptions from people who didn’t want to receive a newspaper whose publisher held opinions different from theirs. I didn’t understand that position, but it’s a free country.
The secondary reaction came in the form of a chill from old friends who were Trump supporters. “So now I’m not just deplorable, now I’m stained?” is my recollection of one good friend’s response at lunch.
What could I say? She was never deplorable. But, yes, I thought her support of Donald Trump was a stain, something she would regret and maybe someday be ashamed of.
Then came the election. While I knew my opinion was in the minority, I had no idea to what extent it was in the minority. Trump carried Jay County by 3 to 1 and some precincts by 4 to 1.
My assumption had always been that the county would go Trump. Jay County is a red county in a red state. But I figured the margin would be something like 55-45 or 60-40. I was, I will admit, stunned.
A night or two later I wrote a long email to our daughters and a number of friends, trying to sort through the tea leaves of the local election results. I knew that abortion continues to be a factor for many voters, particularly in Wabash Township. And I knew that Hillary was detested by many others, even some Democrats who would otherwise have supported the party candidate. I also knew that she had been the target of a relentless assault of fake news and vitriol for more than 20 years. And I knew that she had failed to generate enthusiasm among her Democratic base.
But explaining the outcome of an election and living with it are two different matters.
And living with it has been tougher than I had ever imagined.
One of the points I was trying to make back in my column last fall is that when someone is writing an editorial he or she is trying to help set an agenda for the community.
That requires finding common ground. It requires building consensus. And where Donald Trump is concerned, common ground and consensus are impossible to be found.
Better to bite your tongue on the presidential election than lose consensus on a school issue or a local government question or a social crisis like the opioid epidemic.
Trouble is, my tongue is getting sore.
Do I want to write about playing footsie with the Russians during the campaign? Sure I do.
Do I want to write about the plethora of ethical violations this administration has presented to the country? Sure I do.
Do I want to scream in protest about the Trump administration’s characterization of the press as enemies of the people and its embrace of dictators? You bet I do.
But frankly I’m having trouble doing that when I suspect that our readers — maybe as many as 4 to 1 — still think Trump is okay.
It’s as if, after writing for this community and being read by this community for more than 40 years, we find ourselves on different planets.
I take small comfort in knowing that I’ve been proved right: Trump is beyond any doubt unfit to be president.
But that’s small consolation when I know so many friends, neighbors, and readers have still not yet come to that inevitable conclusion.
This is a column about why I am not writing about Donald Trump. Unless I have to.
Last fall, shortly before the election I wrote a column about the pros and cons of newspaper editorial endorsements. And in that column I explained why our newspapers had pretty much put the idea of endorsements out to pasture.
But at the same time, I expressed the personal opinion — not an editorial statement by the newspaper — that I did not believe Donald Trump was fit to be president. To be precise, I said that he would be a stain on the presidency.
I spelled out the reasons why: His misogyny, his race-baiting, his demeanor, and his temperament among others.
And I tried to explain, in the column, the difference between a column like this, which can be very personal, and an editorial, which tries to set a community agenda and build consensus and speaks for the newspaper as a whole.
The immediate reaction was two cancelled subscriptions from people who didn’t want to receive a newspaper whose publisher held opinions different from theirs. I didn’t understand that position, but it’s a free country.
The secondary reaction came in the form of a chill from old friends who were Trump supporters. “So now I’m not just deplorable, now I’m stained?” is my recollection of one good friend’s response at lunch.
What could I say? She was never deplorable. But, yes, I thought her support of Donald Trump was a stain, something she would regret and maybe someday be ashamed of.
Then came the election. While I knew my opinion was in the minority, I had no idea to what extent it was in the minority. Trump carried Jay County by 3 to 1 and some precincts by 4 to 1.
My assumption had always been that the county would go Trump. Jay County is a red county in a red state. But I figured the margin would be something like 55-45 or 60-40. I was, I will admit, stunned.
A night or two later I wrote a long email to our daughters and a number of friends, trying to sort through the tea leaves of the local election results. I knew that abortion continues to be a factor for many voters, particularly in Wabash Township. And I knew that Hillary was detested by many others, even some Democrats who would otherwise have supported the party candidate. I also knew that she had been the target of a relentless assault of fake news and vitriol for more than 20 years. And I knew that she had failed to generate enthusiasm among her Democratic base.
But explaining the outcome of an election and living with it are two different matters.
And living with it has been tougher than I had ever imagined.
One of the points I was trying to make back in my column last fall is that when someone is writing an editorial he or she is trying to help set an agenda for the community.
That requires finding common ground. It requires building consensus. And where Donald Trump is concerned, common ground and consensus are impossible to be found.
Better to bite your tongue on the presidential election than lose consensus on a school issue or a local government question or a social crisis like the opioid epidemic.
Trouble is, my tongue is getting sore.
Do I want to write about playing footsie with the Russians during the campaign? Sure I do.
Do I want to write about the plethora of ethical violations this administration has presented to the country? Sure I do.
Do I want to scream in protest about the Trump administration’s characterization of the press as enemies of the people and its embrace of dictators? You bet I do.
But frankly I’m having trouble doing that when I suspect that our readers — maybe as many as 4 to 1 — still think Trump is okay.
It’s as if, after writing for this community and being read by this community for more than 40 years, we find ourselves on different planets.
I take small comfort in knowing that I’ve been proved right: Trump is beyond any doubt unfit to be president.
But that’s small consolation when I know so many friends, neighbors, and readers have still not yet come to that inevitable conclusion.
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