Trump candidacy leaves a mark

Just short of 40 years ago, I wrote my first editorial for this newspaper.
Thousands followed. For about 20 years, I was writing six a week — more than 300 a year — but I’ve scaled back since then. Still, it all adds up to sharing far more of my opinions than anyone can be expected to hear, including my very patient wife.
In the early years, some of those editorials endorsed candidates.
To be clear, this piece is a column, not an editorial. It represents my personal views and is not a statement of the newspaper’s position on any issue. The distinction is important, even on a small newspaper like this one.
But because this newspaper has had a tradition going back more than 50 years of signing editorials with a set of initials (J.R., H.R., R.C., T.W., D.R., M.S., and others) the two often get confused.
The short answer is: An editorial is a statement of opinion by the newspaper, written and signed by a staff member; a column is an expression of personal opinion.
Admittedly, it’s a small distinction. But, though small, it is not insignificant.
So, back to those editorials 20 to 30 years ago that endorsed candidates, why did that come to a halt?
Because in a community newspaper like this one, endorsements don’t really work.
To the very limited extent that words published on this page might have influence upon policy or events, that influence is entirely local. And wandering off can be detrimental.
In other words, if a newspaper hopes to be able to help its community make decisions or set an agenda when it comes to things like local government budgets or zoning regulations or swimming pools, it’s wise to avoid larger, more divisive issues that could fracture the consensus an editorial writer is trying to build.
So, sometimes in this business, you bite your tongue.
You hold off expressing an opinion about the war in Iraq because you want to keep folks listening to you when you weigh in on a four-way stop sign. Sure, that’s an extreme example. But it’s not too far off the mark.
And then, there are times you can’t bite your tongue any longer.
This is one of those times.
Please keep in mind that what follows is a personal opinion. Not the opinion of this newspaper, not an editorial, not an endorsement.
Donald Trump should not be the next president of the United States.
More than that, Donald Trump is not only unworthy of his office. He is unworthy of his party. Republicans deserve better than this.
There’s no reason to catalog his failings here.
There’s plenty of evidence of his bigotry, misogyny, xenophobia, mendacity and ignorance.
What’s troubling is that so many of his supporters forgive all that and still get aboard the Trump train.
That’s their choice, but making that choice leaves a mark. His candidacy is a stain on the republic and on his party; embracing his candidacy means embracing that stain.