OPINION
6A
Founded in 1873
STEPHEN A. FORRESTER, Editor & Publisher
LAURA SELLERS, Managing Editor
Softening on Trump?
Just remember this
BETTY SMITH, Advertising Manager
CARL EARL, Systems Manager
JOHN D. BRUIJN, Production Manager
DEBRA BLOOM, Business Manager
HEATHER RAMSDELL, Circulation Manager
Good news, bad
news on ish stocks
T
here is good news and bad news in NOAA Fisheries’ latest
Status of Stocks report. It notes the rebuilding of two local
groundish species and marks new complications for salmon
isheries.
Longtime residents well rockish remain on the over-
remember the economic ished list. This means the
stresses created by stringent agency considers there to be
controls on groundish har- unsustainably high level of
vests starting after the turn of ishing pressure on a stock.
the millennium.
The response will be a reduced
For communities like ours level of ishing so these spe-
at the mouth of the Columbia, cies can rebuild.
loss of any major ishery is like
The stocks added to the
removing one leg of a table — Paciic Northwest list are
our entire economy becomes Upper Columbia River sum-
less stable. Deepwater species mer Chinook, Grays Harbor
like canary rockish and petrale fall Chinook, Hoh River coho
sole formed the basis of one and Willapa Bay fall “natural”
economic leg, but had been lit- Chinook.
Because stocks intermingle
tle monitored. When biologists
poked into it, they said years of in the ocean, troubles in even a
relatively minimal regulation relatively small watershed like
had left the slow-reproducing the Hoh can create widespread
species on the verge of disas- impacts.
Perhaps the biggest wild
ter. This resulted in season clo-
sures and years of stringent card in this stocks report is the
federal decision to buy into
controls.
The Status of Stocks report Washington state’s determi-
notes a milestone: petrale and nation that escaped Willapa
canary rockish are consid- hatchery Chinook now war-
ered “rebuilt.” This doesn’t rant protection as a sort of
mean a return to a low-regula- accidental new kind of “natu-
tion regime, but will result in ral” salmon.
If hatchery ish can be rede-
fewer restrictions for both spe-
cies and higher catch limits for ined as “natural,” it begs the
rockish. The higher rockish question of why agencies
limits will also improve access continue to draw a irm dis-
to other species with which tinction between the two in
they share habitat, including the Columbia River. It will
be interesting to see how the
Dover sole and black cod.
The bad news is that Paciic states and feds talk themselves
Ocean perch and yelloweye around this point.
Visitors abound as
festival season begins
T
he season of the festivals
has begun. In many of our
communities — Astoria, Long
Beach, Seaside and Cannon
Beach — these annual events
bring thousands of visitors
who spend money. Their eco-
nomic impact is palpable.
The season started last
weekend with the Astoria
Warrenton Crab, Seafood
and Wine Festival. Like most
of these events, this festival
began modestly 34 years ago,
in an empty ish processing
plant on the river — with fam-
ilies eating crab on tables cov-
ered with newspapers.
Next weekend will be
Loyalty Days in Long Beach,
Washington. This festival goes
back six or seven decades.
Many other communities once
hosted this festival theme.
It was a product of the Cold
War with the Soviet Union —
meant as a response to the May
Day parades in Red Square.
On Mother’s Day week-
end, Astoria’s Sunday Market
will begin its six-month sea-
son. The market has become
the equivalent of a sustained
festival, drawing visitors once
a week.
Astoria’s cruise ship vis-
its present a different sort of
festival. The cruise ship hosts
make Astoria a unique stop
for the disembarking visitors.
Twenty-two ships will come
our way in spring and fall. The
beauty of the cruise ship traf-
ic is that it comes without
vehicles.
As summer progresses, the
festival calendar will be illed
by Cannon Beach’s Sandcastle
Contest, Seaside’s beach vol-
leyball weekend and the Long
Beach Kite Festival.
One of Oregon’s oldest fes-
tivals is the Astoria Regatta in
August. The festival that puts
that biggest load on the coun-
ty’s transportation network is
the Hood to Coast Relay, which
terminates in Seaside in August.
This assortment of festivals
brings vitality to our region.
It also brings considerable
revenue.
THE DAILY ASTORIAN • TUESDAY, APRIL 26, 2016
Washington Post Editorial
o you remember when
Donald Trump crudely
mocked the disability of a New
York Times reporter, and then lied
about having done so?
D
No? That’s just as the Republican
candidate might hope.
Now that he is nearing the
Republican nomination, he says he
will become more “presidential.”
After winning the New York primary,
he referred to “Senator Cruz” instead
of “Lyin’ Ted.” You can expect mul-
titudes of ofice-seekers and syco-
phants to follow Chris Christie’s cra-
ven path to believing, or pretending to
believe, in a presidential Trump.
So it is important to remember.
Remember that Mr. Trump said that
Mexicans crossing the border are rap-
ists, though “some, I assume, are good
people.”
Remember that Mr. Trump falsely
claimed that thousands of American
Muslims had celebrated the destruction
of the World Trade Center on 9/11.
Remember that Mr. Trump insulted
Carly Fiorina for her appearance:
“Look at that face! Would anyone vote
for that?”
Remember, now that Fox News
anchor Megyn Kelly has sought to
make peace with Mr. Trump, that he
insinuated that she had asked him a
tough question because she was men-
struating: “You could see there was
blood coming out of her eyes, blood
coming out of her wherever.”
Remember that he called her a
bimbo, sick, overrated and crazy.
Remember that Mr. Trump lashed
out at Ms. Kelly in the irst place
because she had recited some of the
other names he has used for women he
disliked: “ ‘fat pigs,’ ‘dogs,’ ‘slobs’ and
‘disgusting animals.’ . . . You once told
a contestant on ‘Celebrity Apprentice’ it
would be a pretty picture to see her on
her knees.”
Remember that Mr. Trump, who
never served in the armed forces, said
that Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) was
“not a war hero.” Mr. McCain, after
being shot down over North Vietnam,
endured 5 ½ years of torture and sol-
itary coninement as he repeatedly
refused offers of liberation unless all
of his fellow prisoners would also be
freed. “I like people who weren’t cap-
tured,” Mr. Trump said.
AP Photo/Charles Krupa
Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump addresses supporters at
a campaign event at Crosby High School in Waterbury, Conn., Saturday.
Remember how Mr. Trump threat- nostalgic for “the old days,” when
ened a Chicago family who donated to protesters would be “carried out on
a PAC opposing his candidacy: “They stretchers.”
better be careful, they have a lot to
Remember that Mr. Trump said he
hide!”
would consider paying the legal fees
Remember that Mr. Trump threat- for supporters who attacked protesters
ened and disparaged not just reporters at his rally.
who angered him but freedom of the
Remember that Mr. Trump
press overall with a vow to “open up” defended his campaign manager
the libel laws.
after the campaign manager roughly
Remember that Mr. Trump vowed grabbed a reporter and then denied
to ban Muslims from entering the coun- having touched her and called her
try, though he never explained how he “delusional” when she complained.
would enforce this edict.
Remember that Mr. Trump threat-
Remember that Mr. Trump prom- ened to “spill the beans” on Mr. Cruz’s
ised to round up 11 mil-
wife to retaliate for an
lion
undocumented
independent PAC ad that
immigrants and deport
Winning angered him.
them, in what would be
Remember that Mr.
is not an Trump lied about Pres-
the largest forced popu-
lation movement since
Obama’s birth
antidote ident
Pol Pot’s genocide of
certiicate.
Remem-
the Cambodian peo- to bigotry, ber that he lied about
ple, though he never
Mr. Obama planning
explained how he would
violence, to admit 200,000 Syr-
go about doing so.
ian refugees. Remem-
Remember that he ignorance, ber that he lied about
cited “Operation Wet-
President George W.
insults
back” as a humane model
Bush trying to silence
for such a roundup.
because he suppos-
and lies. him
Remember that Mr.
edly opposed the Iraq
Trump promised to order
War. Remember that
American soldiers and intelligence ofi- he lied about the unemployment rate,
cers to torture their prisoners.
the cost of building a border wall, the
Remember that Mr. Trump, unlike amount he could save by changing
virtually every scientist in the world, is Medicare’s drug plan and many other
“not a great believer in man-made cli- things.
mate change.”
Remember that Mr. Trump vowed
Remember Mr. Trump’s answer to kill the innocent children of sus-
when asked whether there are racial pected terrorists.
disparities in law enforcement: “I’ve
“Winning is the antidote to a lot of
read where there are and I’ve read things,” Republican National Commit-
where there aren’t. I mean, I’ve read tee Chairman Reince Priebus said ear-
both. And, you know, I have no opin- lier this year. As Mr. Trump marches
ion on that.”
toward 1,237 delegates, others will
Remember that Mr. Trump said he emulate that amoral embrace.
would like to punch a protester in the
So remember. Winning is not an
face.
antidote to bigotry, violence, ignorance,
Remember that Mr. Trump waxed insults and lies.
Candidate clash of the injured titans
cies were not permanent.
Exit polls in New York,
Mr. Reagan’s unfavorability
where the real estate devel-
in 1980, however, was never
oper won by massive mar-
gins, revealed that even
f trends hold and the parties’ as high as that of Mr. Trump
now.
among Republican voters,
front-runners become the par-
“‘Fixing personality neg-
22 percent said that they
ties’ nominees, November is going atives is a lot easier than ix-
would be scared of his pres-
to be an epic election: a hobbled ing character negatives,’ said
idency and another 14 per-
cent said they’d be con-
titan (Hillary Clinton) versus a Mr. Manafort … ‘You can’t
change
somebody’s
char-
cerned about it.
mortally wounded one (the real acter. But you can change
Only 8 percent of Demo-
Charles
estate developer).
the way somebody presents
crats
said they’d be scared of
Blow
The upcoming contests only but- themselves.’
a Clinton presidency, with 25
“And that, Mr. Manafort
percent saying they would be
tress the possibility that those two will
concerned about it.
be the last man and woman standing. said, was in the works.”
Will the real demagogue please
In fact, naturalization applications
As of Sunday, The Hufington stand up!
are on the rise, speciically because
Post’s Pollster average of polls had the
How must all of his supporters Latino immigrants are nervous about
real estate developer leading Ted Cruz feel — the ones following him like the potential presidency of the real
by almost 30 percentage points in Con- wounded puppies because he is their estate developer. As The New York
necticut, 19 points in Pennsylvania and rapid rabble-rouser who “tells it like it Times reported last month:
20 points in Maryland. All three states is”? Maybe he’s just been telling you
“Overall, naturalization applica-
vote on Tuesday. The real estate devel- what he knew you wanted to hear. tions increased by 11 percent in the
oper is leading in Rhode Island and Del- Maybe he’s been playing on your anx- 2015 iscal year over the year before,
aware as well — states that also vote on ieties, insecurities and anger to further and jumped 14 percent during the six
Tuesday — but those states don’t have his own ambitions. Maybe this has all months ending in January, according
the same volume of polling to make the been an act, a “part he’s been playing,” to federal igures. The pace is pick-
results as reliable.
and you are the gullible audience who ing up by the week, advocates say,
That same site had Clinton leading got played.
and they estimate applications could
Sen. Bernie Sanders by
Maybe you are sim- approach one million in 2016, about
26 points in Maryland,
ply backing a man who 200,000 more than the average in
Will
15 points in Pennsyl-
has hijacked your pas- recent years.”
vania and six points in
sions and your party.
The article continues: “While natu-
the real
Connecticut. She, too,
But on the sub- ralizations generally rise during presi-
was leading in Rhode demagogue stance, Manafort seems dential election years, Mr. Trump pro-
Island and Delaware.
to suggest that his guy, vided an extra boost this year.”
We seem to be
the ultimate branding
If Clinton lacks enthusiasm among
please
watching the prequel to
machine, simply needs her fans, that lack is likely to be more
stand up! one more rebranding, than made up for by voters’ enthusiasm
a foregone conclusion.
Now the question
that his problems pale for anyone but the real estate developer.
is: How would these two candidates in comparison to those of Clinton, his
It’s too far from November to make
square off in a general election?
likely opponent.
predictions about the outcome of a
As The New York Times reported
Maybe. Maybe not.
race. We still have to learn the deini-
last week, Paul Manafort, the real
As The Wall Street Journal noted in tive outcome of each party’s nominat-
estate developer’s new campaign chief, a recent poll, Clinton’s unpopularity — ing process.
seemed to suggest on a tape obtained as measured by poll respondents say-
There could be a surprise in Clin-
by the paper that up until now, the real ing that they either have somewhat or ton’s emails or in the real estate devel-
estate developer’s incendiary style was very negative feelings toward her — hit oper’s taxes — should he ever release
just an act.
a “dubious new record of 56 percent.”
them. There also is a tremendous war
This is how the paper reported the
The only problem for Republicans, chest of super PAC money on the side-
contents of the tape:
however, is that “an astounding 65 per- lines waiting to get into the race, and
“Mr. Manafort acknowledged Mr. cent” feel that way about the real estate there’s no way to know how that will
Trump’s deep unpopularity — his ‘neg- developer, leading the paper to con- shape the election.
Nothing is settled and inevitable, but
atives,’ he called them — but invoked clude that he and Cruz “may be the only
Ronald Reagan’s initial polling deicit two Republicans who could lose to Hil- at this point one must say: Advantage
in 1980 to claim Mr. Trump’s deicien- lary Clinton.”
Clinton.
By CHARLES M. BLOW
New York Times News Service
I