OPINION
4A
THE DAILY ASTORIAN • THURSDAY, MAY 5, 2016
Trump, the party, and the Lord’s work
By THOMAS L. FRIEDMAN
New York Times News Service
Founded in 1873
STEPHEN A. FORRESTER, Editor & Publisher
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U.S. Speaker of the
House Paul Ryan
gives a speech
titled “Building a
Confident America”
in April, at Gaston
Hall at Georgetown
University in
Washington.
AP Photo
Andrew Harnik
The last sensible
Republican leader
Speaker Paul Ryan gets grief for
making a prudent choice
ike many others, I watched the
video that President Barack
Obama showed at the White
House Correspondents’ Dinner on
Saturday of him inviting former
House Speaker John Boehner
over to solicit his advice on what
Obama should do post-presidency.
L
It was remarkable to see the real
Boehner and the real Obama acting
like best buddies in the White House
movie theater.
Boehner even tells Obama that he
inally got a “grand bargain” — only it
was on a Chevy Tahoe, not the one they
tried to negotiate
on the economy.
I watched
that video with
Chuck Todd, the
host of “Meet
the Press,” and
he had the exact
same reaction
I had: “Where
was that broth-
erly love when
Thomas L.
America needed
Friedman
it” for a real
grand bargain?
That scene plucked the deepest
emotional chord in the country today:
The nonstop ighting between our two
political parties has left many Ameri-
cans feeling like the children of two per-
manently divorcing parents. The coun-
try is starved to see its two major parties
do big hard things together again. And
getting a glimpse — even just a pretend
one — of Obama and Boehner teaming
up reminds you what’s been lost.
I think what’s propelling Donald
Trump’s success more than anything
is the feeling of many Americans that
our politics are totally stuck. There is an
overwhelming sense of “stuckness” —
and the fantasy that Trump plays to, and
plays up, is that he can pull the sword
from the stone and do deals. No one
was more responsible for this “stuck-
ness,” though, than today’s Republi-
can Party. When Mitch McConnell,
the GOP leader in the Senate, said in
October 2010 that “the single most
important thing we want to achieve is
for President Obama to be a one-term
president,” he described the Repub-
licans’ dominant strategy since 2008.
The party stopped thinking seriously
about market-based alternatives. Into
that emptiness entered Trump, like an
invasive species.
This was a really bad time for us to
be stuck. I’m just inishing writing a new
book, which is partly about the inlection
point we hit around 2007. In 2007, Apple
ouse Speaker Paul Ryan wants to do the iscally responsi-
ble thing. And for that, he is getting grief from a faction of
the U.S. House Republican caucus. The issue is Puerto Rico’s
$70 billion debt. On Monday the territory of Puerto Rico missed
a $422 million debt payment. The next step will be default.
Speaker Ryan favors a com- from the territory to Florida
prehensive solution. As The is raising the number of
Wall Street Journal described Democratic voters in that state,
it: “The legislation would cre- which is bad for the GOP’s
ate a federal oversight board prospects in the November
with the power to approve or elections and beyond.
The Journal noted that
reject local budgets, and to
approve plans for court-su- members of Congress don’t
pervised debt restructuring. hear from their constituents
It wouldn’t commit taxpayer on the Puerto Rican matter.
funds.”
Of course not. But Congress
Ryan argues that if Congress is charged with paying for an
puts off dealing with the terri- overseeing a vast enterprise
tory’s debt, the eventual inan- that is the federal government.
cial burden will be much less Letting Puerto Rico’s debt
manageable. In other words, move to default would be an
Ryan wants to do the prudent epic mistake.
thing.
As the national Republican
Political side effects also Party devolves into a cacoph-
should propel Republicans to ony of name-calling and far-
act now. The Journal pointed fetched schemes, Paul Ryan
out on Tuesday that the migra- has quickly become the last Vote for Woltjer
t’s a little tough to igure out how to
tion of young Puerto Ricans sensible Republican leader.
vote for a judge. We don’t often get
H
AP Photo/Mary Altaffer
Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump is joined by his
daughter Ivanka, left, and son Eric, background left, as he speaks
during a primary night news conference Tuesday in New York.
came out with the iPhone, beginning the China or eliminate big banks and all
smartphone/apps revolution; in late 2006 will be ine. It’s nonsense.
Facebook opened its doors to anyone,
We got strong as a country through
not just college and high school students, democracy and capitalism. We got rich
and took off like a rocket; Google came as a country through trade. We got smart
out with the Android operating system in and powerful as a country through
2007; Hadoop launched in 2007, helping immigration. We got fair as a coun-
create the storage/processing power for try through Social Security, Medicare
the big data revolution; Github, launched and Obamacare. They all lead to vastly
in 2007, scaling open-source
more winners than losers.
software; Twitter was spun
This is no time to lose con-
This
off as its own separate plat-
idence in what got us here.
form in 2007. Amazon came
If you’re running for presi-
was a dent
out with the Kindle in 2007.
and are not for all these
Airbnb started in 2007.
things,
you’re wrong — and
really I hope you
In short, on the eve of
lose.
Obama’s presidency, some-
But if you’re for these
bad
thing big happened: Every-
things only as they now
thing started getting dig- time for exist, you’re also wrong.
itized and made mobile
Each one needs retooling.
— work, commerce, bill- us to be It’s clear: Free trade with
ing, inance, education —
has hurt more people
stuck. China
reshaping the economy. A
than originally thought. It’s
lot of things started to get
clear: Low-skilled illegal
very fast all at once. It was precisely immigration has hurt more American
when we needed to double down on workers than we’ve fully understood.
our formula for success and update it (And more high-skilled immigration
for a new era — more lifelong learn- in a knowledge age would enhance
ing opportunities for every worker, bet- our economy more than most people
ter infrastructure (roads, airports, rails understand.) It’s clear: Social Secu-
and bandwidth) to promote the low rity, Medicare and Obamacare all need
of commerce, better rules to incentiv- ixes to remain sustainable. It’s clear:
ize risk-taking and prevent reckless- Capitalism driven more by machines
ness, better immigration policies to and robots poses new challenges for
attract the world’s smartest minds, and both white-collar and blue-collar
more government-funded research to workers.
push out the boundaries of science and
Every one of these challenges can
sow the seeds for the next generation of be met if we put our heads and hands
startups.
together. For that to happen, though,
That was the real grand bargain we this version of the Republican Party
needed. Instead, we had the 2008 eco- had to be destroyed, so a thinking cen-
nomic meltdown, which set off more ter-right party can emerge. If that is
polarization, and way too much grid- what Trump has done, he’s done the
lock, given how much rethinking, Lord’s work. We also we need Dem-
reimagining and retooling we needed to ocrats to be a center-left party, though,
do. In this vortex a lot of the public got and not let Bernie Sanders pull them
unmoored and disoriented, opening the to the far left. If both happen, maybe
way for populists with simple answers. something good can actually emerge
Get rid of immigrants, end trade with from this crazy election.
Open forum
Gearhart risks losing
its singularity
G
earhart has been a reliable
source of controversy
and news for this newspaper.
Starting with the advent of the
Paciic Way Bakery and Cafe
in 1988, various proposals
have ignited ierce disagree-
ment among the town’s year-
round residents and seasonal
residents. Golf course condo-
miniums, a barn event center
and short-term house rentals
have been divisive.
On Tuesday night, the
Gearhart City Council voted
3-1 (Mayor Diane Widdop
was absent) to permit the
owner of the Gearhart Grocery
to convert the space into a
brew pub. Opponents of this
FYI:
O
D
the most part, these boob tube report-
ers are not reporting the news, but shar-
ing personal, or network, opinion in an
attempt to sway our views to match
theirs, and thus drive home their vision
of a better and brighter tomorrow.
What, you may well ask, is my
point? Well I urge you to maintain
some semblance of rationality, and
think before you cast your ballot. Do
not just vote for someone because they
look good, or because they represent
a certain political party, or because the
talking heads tell you to.
Vote for the individuals whom you
honestly believe have the ability, power
and wherewithal to make decisions and
changes that will be necessary to help
Second, an exceptional judge is
respectful. She will respect the law. She
will respect those who believe in it, and
she will respect those who challenge it.
Lastly, an exceptional judge is ded-
icated. Dawn has over 20 years’ expe-
rience with the law. She is motivated,
determined and passionate. Through her
experience she has proven that she will
be successful as Circuit Court judge. She
will share her talents with our commu-
nity; please don’t ignore her gift.
To my fellow voters, I ask you to join
me in voting for someone who is fair,
respectful and dedicated. Join me in vot-
ing for Dawn McIntosh for Circuit Court.
PAT LAVIS
Astoria
I
Clippings from the press of the
Paciic Northwest and the nation
ll three candidates in this race—
Labor Commissioner Brad Ava-
kian, state Sen. Richard Devlin
(D-Tualatin) and state Rep. Val Hoyle
(D-Eugene) — bring strong political
résumés to the race.
But it’s what they would do with
the job that sets them apart—and
makes it crucial that voters rally
behind anybody but Avakian.
Avakian is pledging to be all
to see them “judging,” and will rarely
come in contact with them during the
year in our everyday lives. In this elec-
tion for Circuit Court judge, all of the
candidates have worked for Josh Mar-
quis in a very well-run district attor-
ney’s ofice. So I’m making my deci-
sion for a candidate based on what I
know on a personal level.
Ron Woltjer, his wife Cindee, and
their kids have been very active in our
community and our schools. They are
volunteering kinds of folks, easy to
talk to and willing to do the dirty work.
Ron has a calm demeanor and is a good
listener.
He is intelligent, reliable, and kind
to others. He’s a kid person, and dog
person, and has raised a family while
working as an attorney and a judge, giv-
ing of his time and effort.
Judge Nelson was also involved in
the community, a great listener and reli-
able. The times I was in court on jury
duty, I found him very considerate of all
involved in the legal system. I feel con-
ident that Ron Woltjer would exhibit
those same qualities. Please give him
a good look before casting your ballot.
BOB ELLSBERG
Astoria
this great nation continue to prosper.
Vote for representation that will protect
and brighten your economic future, and
not for those that make hollow promises
of prosperity, but actually have no way
to pay for the programs they espouse.
I believe that we should all tell the
media, the political parties and fac-
tions who seek to badger us into accept-
ing things that we don’t want because
we might be ostracized, to take a hike
and support those candidates who have
the business sense and the tenacity to
accomplish the job, without conde-
scending to any groups or lobbies that
seek to radically change our national
beliefs and morals.
That is just my opinion; I could be
wrong.
DAVID GRAVES
Astoria
plan noted that the brew pub
concept would be at odds with
the city’s comprehensive plan.
In different manifesta-
tions over decades, Gearhart’s
grocery has been one of the
town’s hallmarks. It is difi-
cult to think of Gearhart with-
Rationality is key
Vote for McIntosh
out one.
h boy; It’s getting close to elec-
awn McIntosh is an exceptional
The larger choice which city
tion time again. It seems like every
candidate for Circuit Court judge.
leaders must face is where the
time there is a national election, some I have practiced law for over 50 years,
folks seem to go a little nuts. Perfectly before a number of judges. Through my
conlicting forces are taking
rational individuals spout a most per- experience, I’ve witnessed the qualities
Gearhart. And do they have
plexing amount of ingested drivel, gar- that, in my opinion, make an excep-
the gumption to draw a line.
nered mostly from the plethora of news tional judge. I believe these qualities
programs that occupy time slots on our are: Someone who believes in equality,
Among Oregon’s residential
television channels.
is respectful of others and is dedicated
beach communities, Gearhart
For some reason these individuals’ to the bench. I believe Dawn McIntosh
brains tend to switch to standby, and possesses all of these qualities.
has been unique. With each new
they become true believers of every
First, and exceptional judge is one
accommodation of commercial Vote for Goldthorpe
word that the particular talking head who treats all who walk through the
and inancial pressure, Gearhart
t is an honor to write a letter of rec- they are watching spouts, no matter door equally. Dawn will listen; she will
ommendation on behalf of David how lacking in factual basis their rhet- be present. She will treat all those who
risks losing its singularity.
Goldthorpe as he seeks the position of oric may be. We seem to forget that, for enter her courtroom fairly.
Anybody but Avakian
A
I
as he has served as an adjunct profes-
sor of criminal justice at Clatsop Com-
munity College. He currently serves as
an instructor at the Department of Pub-
lic Safety Standards and Training, and
is a vital team member of the Clatsop
County Adult Drug Court.
Most importantly, David and his
wife, Jennifer, are the proud parents of
four beautiful children. He is invested
in his children’s lives and activities. He
serves as treasurer and assistant den
leader for the Warrenton Cub Scouts,
as well as basketball coach and soccer
coach for his children’s teams.
I believe David Goldthorpe will be
an excellent Circuit Court judge for
Clatsop County.
DEBBIE MORROW
Chairwoman,
Warrenton-Hammond School Board
things to all people in a cynical
attempt to seduce uninformed voters.
It’s irresponsible.
Val Hoyle enjoys engaging with
the public and political stakehold-
ers. Too many Oregon politicians
are aloof, passive or conlict-averse.
Hoyle is none of the above — and
the right choice for secretary of
state.
— Willamette Week
Circuit Court judge for Clatsop County.
David is active in his profession,
community and church. He proudly
serves on many committees, including
the Warrenton-Hammond School Bud-
get Committee, where I have the plea-
sure of serving with him. David is an
elected delegate on the Oregon State Bar
House of Delegates. He has an excellent
reputation, the highest ethical standards
and is truly looked up to and respected
by all those who know him well.
In addition, he is very respectful.
He listens and remains completely neu-
tral and fair. He is a meticulous lifelong
learner, and his knowledge and love of
the law is excellent and above reproach.
His legal expertise is recognized,