By Stephen Winham
Guest Columnist
Inspired by U. S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and introspection, I have decided it is time for my daily bashing of the current POTUS to end. His life and his almost 2 ½ years in office speak for themselves.
A recipient’s request to be removed from my email blast list this week made me see something I had obviously repressed – I would ask to be removed from a list of daily email blasts supporting the actions of the POTUS and would not have read them anyhow. The request made perfect sense.
I believe 2 immutable (and often mutually-exclusive) things explain the current support of the POTUS by 30-40% of our population:
- The belief that any means justifies the end – MAGA – and that he is the secular messiah who will fundamentally change our country in the direction reflected by his words and deeds. The wealthy and powerful in his base see this one way, the underachievers quite another.
- Ignorance, or selective dismissal of daily headlines, radio and television stories, easily verifiable facts about his life and his own direct statements and actions – and a general ignorance of history – blind faith.
These two things are apparently not going to change and there is little point in trying. All I have really been doing so far with my blasts and conversations is simply preaching to the choir – nobody else is paying attention.
Active protests, letters to Congress, diatribes detailing facts readily accessible via other means, and even impeachment are not the answers, but protection of the free press is essential and must be preserved at all cost.
At this point, the only thing that makes sense is to begin now to find an acceptable 2020 candidate and get fully behind her or him. Party does not matter. Among the things that should matter are:
- Demonstrated deliberation, altruism and honesty
- A belief in basic human dignity
- A background that includes enough relevant leadership experience in the public sector to enable immediate effectiveness
- A belief that international diplomacy is critically important and that both sides must win for lasting results – coupled with the recognition that the leaders of some countries are despots who cannot be trusted and whose actions cannot be condoned
- Fair tax policies – i. e., those that adequately fund a stable government and do not benefit the wealthy to the detriment of everybody else
- Recognition that strong environmental regulations are important not just to our personal well-being, but to our long-term economic health
Many other things, like a much-needed transportation infrastructure plan, can be added to this list, all with a positive rather than negative outlook. A national infrastructure plan, for example, would provide tremendous economic benefits.
Most 2020 candidates will find it necessary to attack the current POTUS. I now believe that to be unnecessary. What is necessary is to limit criticism of their fellow candidates. To the extent the reputations of each of these people are destroyed, we will move toward an election like the last one. That happens all too often of late and it must stop. The focus should be on what positive actions can lead to a positive future.
I am asking the 60+% of our people who believe we need new leadership to vote and encourage like-minded people to vote in 2020 in record numbers to prove it so we can move toward uniting this country again. Hopefully, a good candidate will emerge and be successful, once elected, due to a solid, incontrovertible victory. In the meantime, we will have one thing in our favor – hope.
FYI: BELOW ARE THE MAIN TEXTS OF MY LAST 2 EMAIL BLASTS. I STILL BELIEVE THESE THINGS, BUT NO SENSE BEATING A DEAD HORSE. I AM PROVIDING THEM HERE FOR CONTEXT, BUT FEEL FREE TO IGNORE THEM:
Swinham Blasts:
4/22
I agree 100% with Nancy Pelosi that impeachment is a no-win scenario. I’m beginning to accept that Trump will not go crazy enough or do enough crazy things for the 25th amendment to work and, though my best outcome would be him resigning and issuing a totally childish rant endearing him to his base in perpetuity – the same rant he will make when he is not re-elected which we have to do EVERYTHING possible to prevent and the only thing I know to do in that regard is get out every vote of like-minded people I can.
- S. I thought the newspaper article about Admiral Mike Rogers’ phone call from Trump reported in the Mueller report was among the most damning things in there, but I realized it would have NO impact on Trump’s base, or if it did, it would be positive since they seem to love everything he does. Meanwhile, this and everything else in the report, or that Trump says and does, is becoming for the rest of America, “Ho Hum, nothing to see here” – and there’s the rub. If his behavior is accepted as the norm will enough people wearing our jerseys get out there and vote for his opponent or will this, combined with the Democratic candidates’ attacks on one another as they vie for the nomination, make it impossible for the rest of us to aggressively support the ultimate nominee, poisoned as s/he will have been by her own party members? In other words, will we again face 2 candidates we don’t like?
4/23
The most significant thing Trump said after the release of the Mueller report, when told his own people had to refuse his orders, was, “Nobody disobeys my orders.” Putting aside the obvious reflection of his innate persona, the clause “…and gets away with it” is implied and reflected in the number of resignations and firings during his tenure. Therefore, the people working for him (clearly including the Attorney General) can only remain if they are willing to agree with him on everything and follow his every order without question. What an unhealthy environment for the rest of us – and what a picture this paints of how people in powerful positions in our government can either lack moral fiber, or put it completely aside for their own benefit – and that includes Congress and all but one member of our own delegation – maybe 2 if we count Garret Graves – so let’s say 1 1/3. Whether Trump has violated the U. S. Constitution may be debatable. The fact Congress is refusing to exercise its own powers to provide checks and balances is not.
Louisiana Voice 
I agree. I am limiting my time spent in even listening to news, etc. about Trump. I think I know all there is to know and none of it is good for America. And, I plan to vote Blue at every opportunity. However, I am deeply concerned that so many minority voters where I live have simply dropped out. The registered minority voters have declined in their participation since Obama’s last election. Many simply that their vote isn’t doing them any good and no one is telling them that their not voting is doing them harm. In other words, I do no see any efforts by our Democratic leadership to er-engage these voters or to register new Democratic voters. It seems like another “shooting ourselves in our feet” thing. Sorry for the pessimism..
Thanks for the comment. Among the people to whom I linked this column was Karen Carter-Peterson. I sincerely hope she comes here and sees your comment because it supports something I had feared.
Vote blue all the way! Here we go continuing to segregate the country following the two parties that will end up destroying this country. Neither party’s leadership has the American people’s best interest at heart. The American people voted against a politician hoping that a businessman would bring sanity to actions of the federal government. Voters just picked the wrong businessman. Hopefully there will be a next time.
Ignorance and apathy from the electorate are two of the greatest dangers to our democracy. God save us from both or we will all rue the dreadful consequences.
Which is why you support OBAMA and thought he did a wonderful job even though he had NO experience in business or in life!! And yet you support and supported him. DUMBASS liberal, stupid democrat!
I don’t know who you are responding to, but I don’t recall any mention of Obama in my column. You are, of course, entitled to your opinion and rant, but you may be barking up the wrong tree here with your gratuitous attack.
You call us liberal like it was a bad thing. You obviously call yourself a conservative but let me ask you: What is it you are trying to conserve? It isn’t our air. It isn’t our water. It isn’t the environment. It isn’t the earth itself. So, what is it?
Uh, you may wish to take a closer look at Trump’s “experience” in business: a string of bankruptcies, an even longer string of losing lawsuits where he cheated contractors, students and anyone else stupid enough to trust him, American banks no longer will lend him money, whatever wealth he does possess (and it isn’t nearly as much as he claims, by the way) was given him by his dad. He has actually “earned” very little on his own.
Mr. Winham never once mentioned Obama, yet you and other wild-eyed Tea Partiers continue to invoke his name as if that somehow clears the air of Trump’s continuous blunders, reversals, and just plain idiotic comments like advocating raking the forests to prevent forest fires and using water tanks on the Notre Dame fire.
I would finally ask how you, a woman, could possibly support a man who disrespects women the way he does? Are you really that dense? That blind?
Securing the border with Mexico, record low unemployment, tax cuts putting more of folks’ hard earned dollars back in their pockets, and all of that accomplished while a witch hunt investigation transpired that cost us $35 million for four words: “no collusion, no obstruction.”
Refrain from criticizing if you want because he’s got tens of millions of Americans ready to ensure he gets another four years to keep making America great again! Not one of those Democratic jokes can come within 10 points of him head to head!
Yep. Just keep telling yourself that while he sucks up to Assad, Putin, the Saudi royal family while destroying NATO. Keep telling yourself that while he turns the VA over to his pals at Mar-a-Lago. Keep telling yourself that as he strips health care away from low income families. Keep telling yourself that as the income gap continues to widen, your precious “tax reform” notwithstanding (you do know that about 99% of the “tax reform” went into the pockets of corporate board members, right?). Keep telling yourself that as he allows his corporate buddies to destroy the air, water and land. Keep telling yourself that even as he has already added another trillion (with a “T”) dollars to the federal deficit (Ol’ Bill Clinton, as rotten as he was, at least paid the deficit way down, but no one cares about that; Obama spent 8 years pulling the country out of the financial collapse that occurred under Bush, but no one cares about that).
Like any stage magician, he has you watching the border while he is pulling off all these other tricks behind your back. It’s called misdirection and if you’re not paying attention, it’ll fool you every time. You’ve allowed yourself to be taken in by rhetoric while ignoring what he’s actually doing. But I don’t fault you. People so desperately see and hear what they want, they conveniently discard the facts that don’t fit their agenda.
He didn’t just pay the deficit down, Bill Clinton was the last POTUS to actually balance the federal budget and he initiated the last major welfare reform. He gets no credit for either of those. They happened while I was an adjunct professor. When I would attempt to generate discussions about them, my class seemed incredulous. I honestly don’t think they believed me, mostly because we all know Democrats are supposed to be “tax and spend” when the numbers show that honor really goes to the Republicans. Of course, few Republicans acknowledge that – Another example of the cognitive dissonance that prevails.
Democrats may tax and spend but Republicans borrow and spend, which seems clearly worse.
Your post more than validates my position. Thanks for the affirmation that a common ground for discussion on this does not exist.
This article and the comments make me very sad. It is just more proof as to how divided this country has come. No president, democrat, republican, independent of any other party has a chance at making real change as long as their is such a division in the the democrat and republican parties. I, for one, don’t vote for a party but for the person that I feel demonstrates the best ability to do the job. Just as Abraham Lincoln said, ““America will never be destroyed from the outside. If we falter and lose our freedoms, it will be because we destroyed ourselves.”
― Abraham Lincoln
Honest Abe definitely nailed it.
I totally agree with Mr.Winham and thanks for a great post. It was inspiring! I am grateful?thankful? inspired? that we can recognize a 2bit con man, and understand his worshippers are mostly cowards, and will sell our national soul for few gold coins.(see, I do remember going to Sunday School) No one listens to me but I will never shut up and I am not afraid to “correct” their lies. I am a believer. and we can fix these problems in a democracy/republic with a simple word. Truth. love always ron Thompson
I know you are a fighter, Ron, and appreciate your efforts.
I regret to offer an alternate explanation for Rump’s support: 30 or 40 years of listening to excellently engineered propaganda from Faux News and hate radio. The regret is because the actual truth is not accepted as truth by the brainwashed so Mr. Thompson’s suggestion won’t work, and I don’t have any idea what will.
Agreeing with what Mr. Winham says, there is no point in discussion when they think what we say is based on lies and we think the same of what they say.
My only faint hope is that Rump’s criminal behavior will be revealed in congressional hearings in a way that it will sink in to some of the brainwashed that they have been lied to. But we have to continue pounding his criminal behavior, how he acts guilty and pushing to get out the vote.
As my column implies, I believe all we need to know to make rational judgments about our current POTUS is known.
I would suggest people follow this link to information about the declared candidate I currently find most appealing:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seth_Moulton
Good column, Stephen, I hope that he doesn’t serve another term, I don’t think we will survive….all I can do is vote for his opposition, and I will…hope the rest of America finds their conscience, and does likewise…
Interesting, supporting a man who supports man having sex with another man, a perversion of nature.