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PAGE A4, KEIZERTIMES, JANUARY 15, 2016 KeizerOpinion KEIZERTIMES.COM Obama promised hope, but... By MICHAEL GERSON Now let us praise laundry lists. Every year at State of the Union time, the president and his staff say the speech will not include them. But the laundry won’t keep track of itself. The union is varied and ex- pansive, and so are the responsibili- ties of its chief executive. Enumerat- ing accomplishments and objectives amounts to lists, which Obama had in plenty Tuesday night. The interesting thing is why this particular laundry was chosen. By what principle does the president want personalized medical treat- ments, paid leave, pre-K for all, the cure for cancer, a transition away from dirty energy, and the Trans- Pacifi c Partnership? Obama advanced no ideological claim of what government should do; no technocratic vision of how its performance might be improved. The lists exist because Obama, who sees the “next frontier,” chose them. His person unites his agenda—not quite in the leadership league, he ad- mits, of Lincoln or Roosevelt, but he has obviously thought hard and long about the comparison. This was the way Obama was in- troduced to the country eight years ago. His victory in the Iowa caucus- es had little to do with an ideologi- cal vision or policy agenda (which was, in fact, the utterly predictable liberalism of a backbench senator). That giddy night, he claimed that a “divided” and “disillusioned” coun- try found “a common purpose.” His 38 percent in the caucus proved “we are one people.” We would “move beyond the bitterness and pettiness and anger that’s consumed Washing- ton.” “This was the place,” Obama said, “where America remembered what it means to hope.” Elsewhere he would say: “I have become a symbol of the possibility of America returning to our best traditions.” Obama would bring balance to the Force. Prospectively, with eight years ahead, this was inspiring. Ret- rospectively, with seven years behind, the same claim comes across as self- centered and a little sad—a world- historic fi gure picking through the refuse of the years for this shiny accomplishment and that. His so- lutions to 21st-century problems look suspiciously like 20th-century liberalism. And where has Obama actually left his party and American liberalism? Obama is the fi rst Democrat since Franklin Roosevelt to win back-to-back electoral majori- ties. But members of his party who venture beyond the 18 acres of the White House will fi nd political ruin. Since taking offi ce, Democrats have KPAC, SKEF work for student art lost 13 Sen- ate seats, 69 House seats, 11 governor- ships, 30 state leg islatures and more than 900 state leg- islative seats. In border states that not long ago produced national Democratic lead- ers—such as Arkansas and Tennes- see—the Democratic collapse is es- pecially pronounced. Few presidents have done better for themselves and worse for their parties. And perhaps most disturbingly for America’s liberal party, trust in government to do the right thing is near historical lows. According to a Pew Research Center average, just 19 percent of Americans trust gov- ernment to do the right thing all or most of the time. The whole of the Democratic agenda, the whole of Hillary Clinton’s agenda—from gun control to immigration reform to reducing greenhouse gases—re- quires some modicum of trust in the capacity of government to act in the public interest. What is liberalism without public trust in government? A college class. Declining trust in government is part of a larger decline in the trust of institutions generally. But it is fair to say that the launch of Obamacare, the Veterans Affairs hospital scandal and the IRS political targeting scan- dal did little to halt the slide. Obama was either complicit in the trend, or helpless against it. The same could be said of po- litical polarization—which Obama eventually decided he could not fi ght, and joined with enthusiasm. Or the rise of an angry, anti-estab- lishment populism. More than 10 years of belief that America is on the “wrong track” has hardened into outrage and cynicism, and left some Americans vulnerable to ideologues and demagogues. These will be re- membered as the characteristics of the Obama era —not hope, but an- ger and cynicism. It was a time when many Americans learned to rage. The president and the future nominee of his party now have one advantage. Somehow these trends have produced another cult of per- sonality, on the other political side —untethered to ideas, offering only himself as the solution to our prob- lems, turning bitterness and pettiness into a previously undiscovered po- litical art. This might be the strangest turn: a Republican Party that copies and amplifi es the worst tendencies of our time. other views (Washington Group) letters To the Editor: Regarding the article re- garding the All Student Art Show (Questions arise over student art show at KPAC meeting, Jan. 8 Keizertimes) I want to clear up any perceptions that the Salem Keizer Education Foundation (SKEF) or Krina Lee were in any way part of the concern. SKEF and Krina have been nothing but gracious, patient and fl exible in working with Keizer Public Arts Commission (KPAC), our citizen volunteer committee, and the City of Keizer. Our Community Gallery is only a few months old and KPAC is having growing pains determining processes and procedures that ac- commodate each unique situation and art show. We want to be a great community partner with SKEF and serve all of our kids by providing an exceptional location for their annual Post Writers art show. That said, we do not have all of the pro- cesses in place to accom- modate this in a seamless fashion. We feel we have ac- complished this now and that the All Student Art Show will move forward and become a great success. As the chair of KPAC, I want to personally apologize for the frustration, fi ts and starts that getting to this point has caused any of our public educators, SKEF staff and students. Please forgive our inexperience and growing pains while we endeav- or to serve the people of Keizer and local artists by providing an excep- tional public art gallery for their use. In a related note, there is a fabu- lous show by the Mid-Valley Quil- ters Guild up now at the Keizer Civic Center. Please stop by and see the extraordinary artistic work. Lore Christopher Keizer Keizertimes Wheatland Publishing Corp. • 142 Chemawa Road N. • Keizer, Oregon 97303 phone: 503.390.1051 • web: www.keizertimes.com • email: kt@keizertimes.com NEWS EDITOR Craig Murphy editor@keizertimes.com ASSOCIATE EDITOR Eric A. Howald news@keizertimes.com ADVERTISING SUBSCRIPTIONS One year: $25 in Marion County, $33 outside Marion County, $45 outside Oregon PUBLISHED EVERY FRIDAY Publication No: USPS 679-430 Paula Moseley advertising@keizertimes.com POSTMASTER Send address changes to: PRODUCTION MANAGER Andrew Jackson Keizertimes Circulation graphics@keizertimes.com 142 Chemawa Road N. LEGAL NOTICES Keizer, OR 97303 legals@keizertimes.com EDITOR & PUBLISHER Lyndon Zaitz publisher@keizertimes.com BUSINESS MANAGER Laurie Painter billing@keizertimes.com RECEPTION Periodical postage paid at Salem, Oregon Lori Beyeler facebook.com/keizertimes twitter.com/keizertimes Who encourages Harney militiamen? Kate Brown became governor by Oregon’s law of succession. She wants to be governor in her own right by the election this year. However, she has not impressed this voter by her ap- parent reluctance to do anything that’s not in her electable interest. Case in point here has been the standoff in Harney County by a bunch of crim- inally-minded invaders from other states. The dispute is mainly about the use of federal lands by out-of-state ranchers out for private gain. Any Oregonian or any American living in or visiting Burns or Harney County is not necessarily living on federal land and therefore should be looked after for their safety by Gov. Brown. After all, Brown’s in charge of the Oregon State Police and the Oregon National Guard. Meanwhile, letter writers to news- papers all over the state are writing to say they are fed up with what’s going on in Harney County. Here are but a few examples from the Oregonian of what they are writing: “This collection of traveling gun nuts is just looking for a reason to go into their ‘government-is-after-us’ paranoid psychosis that fuels their in- sanity.” “Ammon Bundy and his self-styled militia cohorts are misinformed, mis- guided and mistaken. Their occupa- tion of the Malheur (r)efuge has noth- ing to do with the Constitution.” “I’m writing to express my frus- tration and anger over the ongoing armed robbery and theft of public lands by the Bundy gang of terrorists and traitors.” “You cry patriotism as an excuse to shield your true intentions which are to turn over our public land jewels to mining, logging, fracking and grazing interests. You have at- tacked the Unit- ed States in an act of war and should be dealt with as such, by government entities.” Negative reactions to this takeover can be found all over the media and yet no action from the capitol by Gov. Brown. It ia all very disappointing and leads me to believe Kate Brown is just another partisan who will take no action—no matter how serious the matter—to avoid controversy in her attempt to be elected. So how did we get to a place where a bunch of goons takes over south- east Oregon? Taking over a refuge and leaving the nearby citizens ner- vous should not be happening to the Malhuer Refuge or any of the other 51 refuges around the country, al- though the Bundy tribe got away with the same thing on a related matter in Nevada. Clues abound as to how we got to where lawbreakers believe all they have to do is occupy whatever fed- eral “ground” they want. Kim Davis, of Kentucky county clerk fame, re- fused to recognize same sex marriages and wouldn’t issue the licenses for it. Canadian-born Ted Cruz identifi ed her jailing as “judicial tyranny” while Mike Huckabee encouraged her with all his political strength. Donald Trump says, if elected, he will not per- mit Muslims into the country due to their religious preference. Marco Rubio stands by his motto, “God’s rules always win and take precedence over man’s.” Rick Santorum signed a pledge “not to respect an unjust law that directly confl icts with higher law.” Nevada’s Cliven Bundy refused to pay grazing fees for his use of federal land. He received the support of Cruz, Trump, Huckabee, Rand Paul and Ben Carson. It’s been reported that Rand Paul met with Bundy earlier this year for nearly an hour, even after Bundy was discredited for his racist remarks. Now, when the son of Cliven, Am- mon Bundy, a man who says he’s un- der God’s instructions, took over the federal compound at the wildlife pre- serve a couple of weeks ago, only John Kasich, among the aspiring GOP con- testants for U.S. president, protested it; the others were silent where silence condones and, further, hints that as president each would surrender all that we want protected and preserved to mining, logging, fracking, grazing and, possibly, hunting preserves for the wealthy, upscale retreats for the rich, and golf courses. Whatever the case, Gov. Brown fi - nally sent out an electronic message from her offi ce a week after the oc- cupation got underway, calling the action “unlawful” and demanding the group “decamp immediately.” A no- budge pledge was the Bundy group’s reply with nothing more from Sa- lem as consequence. Am I surprised by Brown’s lack of attention? No. She’s also been ‘at sea’ over Syrian ref- uges to Oregon among which, most certainly, include ISIS terrorists. I’m remind of a proverb from a 1930s: A democratic government that allows anti-government forces to rule, soon has no democracy at all. It is 2016 and we’re doomed to a full nine months of presidential elec- tion campaigning. There will be no avoiding the hip-deep toxic sludge of campaign ads but I wonder if we might at least set one or two basic ground rules. The fi rst and most ba- sic rule ought to be that you can’t say stuff that’s not true. There should be some consequence if you do. Donald Trump claimed in an interview that he saw, (from Man- hattan), thousands and thousands of Muslims in Jersey City, N.J. cel- ebrating the fall of the World Trade Center towers on 9/11. That never happened and the televised coverage he claims to have seen doesn’t exist. When confronted with those facts he simply doubled down and said yes, it did. So he is either a liar or has invented a memory. Why is he still viewed as a serious candidate? Why was he ever? More than any other candidate he has been factually incorrect and more than any other candidate his fabrications have been just shrugged off. As a reaction to the Black Lives Matter movement a War on Cops campaign has surfaced. Two thou- sand-fi fteen was the second safest year in history for police fatalities by gunshot, and one of the safest years overall for fewest police giving up their lives in the line of duty. Gov. Chris Christie’s analysis of this wel- come news was blaming Obama for “police offi cers being hunted.” In ac- tuality, traffi c accidents claimed more law enforcement lives than armed miscreants. Mike Huckabee said this War on Cops was responsible for “a surge in crime.” Ted Cruz has a little more Con- gressional heft and was able to convene a Senate Judi- ciary hearing titled “War on Police.” He blamed Obama for “creating a cul- ture where the men and women of law enforcement feel under siege.” Even though facts support a com- plete opposite reality this overheated rhetoric somehow wins converts. In a September Rasmussen poll 58 per- cent of Americans believed there is a war on police in the United States today. If we don’t insist on candi- date’s sticking with the facts then it is our added responsibility as voters to dig through the muck to fi nd the truth. Another rule we could use is that if you dislike something one candi- date is accused of then you ought to dislike all candidates accused of the same. We often hear people say they could not support a liar like Hillary Clinton. How then could you support a liar like Donald Tr u m p ? Much is made of Clinton’s use of private email servers for gov- ernment business. Nothing is men- tioned of the thousands of emails never recovered from the Bush ad- ministration’s use of private emails during the Alberto Gonzales trou- bles. Lastly, it’s hard to see that Don- ald Trump has a healthier attitude to- ward women than Bill Clinton. The difference being that Bill Clinton is not running for president. With no facts to support it, I keep thinking there is a broad section of the electorate between the left wing and right wing extremes. We must count on this majority to prevent the election of a candidate indebted to either of these extremes. The real worry is that a moderate candidate would be incapable of saying some- thing outrageous enough to be heard in Campaign 2016. Truth is usually dressed plainly and has no need to shout. gene h. mcintyre (Gene H. McIntyre’s column ap- pears weekly in the Keizertimes.) New rules for 2016 presidential races a box of soap (Don Vowell gets on his soapbox regularly in the Keizertimes.)
