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About East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 12, 2016)
Page 4A OPINION East Oregonian Friday, February 12, 2016 OTHER VIEWS Founded October 16, 1875 KATHRYN B. BROWN DANIEL WATTENBURGER Publisher Managing Editor JENNINE PERKINSON TIM TRAINOR Advertising Director Opinion Page Editor OUR VIEW Tip of the hat; kick in the pants A tip of the hat to everyone who helped the Malheur Wildlife Refuge occupation end safely on Thursday. There is a lot to say now — you can read today’s front page for how it went down. And plenty to say in the future — about the underlying issues, the blatant disregard for the law, and the near-constant threat of violence for 41 days in Harney County and other counties surrounding it. But for now, let’s exhale and sleep soundly. Let’s thank our lucky stars that the four occupiers — obviously stressed both mentally and physically — are alive. Let’s be thankful that the tattered remains of the refuge are clear of those who do not belong there. Let’s get back to rebuilding the refuge and the communities that surround it. The GOP created Donald Trump T A tip of the hat to Elizabeth Doherty, the 10-year-old Rocky Heights Elementary student who returned a large amount of money that she found on the ground in Hermiston. Doherty received a visit and a thank you from Hermiston Police chief -ason Edmiston, who seemed to relish the ability to connect with young people and support a good deed. Elizabeth’s dad said she never wavered in her decision to return the stack of the bills and a unique money clip. Doherty deserves all the kudos she’s received — thousands of atta girls both online and in person — and we’re happy to add another one here. A tip of the hat to Greg Smith and Bill Hansell, who are not only valuable representatives of Eastern Oregon in Salem but gracious hosts to their constituents. This is not a political or policy endorsement, but a thank you on behalf of the Leadership Hermiston class that got the red carpet treatment at the Capitol this week. Even with all the action packed into the 35-day short session, Smith and his wife opened their Salem home to the class of 18 and invited some of their legislative friends over to mingle. Then he and Hansell took the time to show the class the House and Senate Àoors between committee meetings and general session. As both men preached the message that good legislation comes through strong interpersonal relationships, they showed through their actions that it’s not just a talking point. Unsigned editorials are the opinion of the East Oregonian editorial board of Publisher Kathryn Brown, Managing Editor Daniel Wattenburger, and Opinion Page Editor Tim Trainor. Other columns, letters and cartoons on this page express the opinions of the authors and not necessarily that of the East Oregonian. LETTERS POLICY The East Oregonian welcomes original letters of 400 words or less on public issues and public policies for publication in the newspaper and on our website. Submitted letters must be signed by the author and include the city of resi- dence and a daytime phone number. The phone number will not be published. Unsigned letters will not be published. Send letters to 211 S.E. Byers Ave. Pendleton, OR 97801 or email editor@eastoregonian.com. he betting markets now say by nearly 3-to-1 that Obama was born that the most likely Republican overseas. nominee for president is a man The Republican establishment who mocks women, insults Latinos, pro¿ted from the insinuations endorses war crimes like torture, that Obama is a Muslim, that he’s denounces party icons and favors anti-American, that his health care barring people from the United States plan would lead to “death panels.” based on their religion. Rick Perry has described Trump as He’s less a true-believer Nicholas a “cancer on conservatism” and said conservative than an opportunist, Kristof his movement is “a toxic mix of though, for he has supported single- demagoguery and meanspiritedness and Comment nonsense that will lead the Republican payer health insurance, abortion rights Party to perdition” — indeed, but it and tighter gun measures. Lindsey was a mix that too many Republican leaders Graham says he’s “crazy,” -eb Bush says accepted as long as it worked for them. he would be worse than President Barack This echo chamber deluded its believers to Obama, and the conservative National Review the point that it sometimes apparently killed warned that he is a “menace to American them. During the 2009-10 conservatism.” Àu pandemic, right-wing It’s Donald Trump, broadcasters like Limbaugh of course. He’s smarter and Glenn Beck denounced than critics believe — he the call for Àu shots, understood the political apparently seeing it as a mood better than we pundits nefarious Obama plot. did — but I can’t think of The upshot was that any national politician I’ve Democrats were 50 percent met over the decades who more likely than Republicans was so ill-informed on the to say that they would get issues, or so evasive, or who Àu shots, according to a so elegantly and dangerously peer-reviewed article in The melded bombast and -ournal of Health Politics, vapidity. Policy and Law. So when the So how did we get to pandemic killed up to 18,000 this stage where the leading Americans, they presumably Republican candidate is were disproportionately loathed by the Republican conservatives. establishment" The Republican strategy In part, I think, also nurtured expectations at Republican leaders brought this on themselves. Over the decades they pried the grass roots that could never be met. “The Republican Party created Donald Trump,” said open a Pandora’s box, a toxic politics of fear and resentment, sometimes brewed with a tinge Erick Erickson, the conservative radio host, “because they made a lot of promises to their of racial animus, and they could never satisfy base and never kept them.” the unrealistic expectations that they nurtured This is a theme of a smart new book among supporters. by E.-. Dionne -r., “:hy the Right :ent Perhaps it started in 1968 with Nixon’s :rong,” who argues that Republican leaders “Southern strategy,” recruiting white repeatedly made unrealistic pledges — of segregationists infuriated by the civil rights smaller government, preservation of bygone movement. It then expanded to encompass values and an end to demographic change. immigration and the three G’s — God, guns “The history of contemporary American and gays. conservatism is a story of disappointment and Of course, Democrats also sometimes betrayal,” he writes, and that helps explain campaigned outrageously, and some the disenchantment with the Republican Republicans scorned the politics of hate. establishment. There was a marvelous scene in 2008 when Maybe Trump’s campaign will fall apart, -ohn McCain was running against Obama, but he has a huge lead in the polls in the South and a woman at a McCain rally suggested that Carolina primary coming up, and he has Obama was an Arab who couldn’t be trusted. already done enormous damage to the GOP McCain corrected her and then praised his rival: “No, ma’am. He’s a decent family man, a establishment. So today the leading candidate for president citizen, that I just happen to have disagreements in the party of Lincoln is an ill-informed, with on fundamental issues.” inexperienced, bigoted, sexist xenophobe. Political nastiness and conspiracy theories And he’s not a conservative at heart, just a were ampli¿ed by right-wing talk radio, pandering opportunist. television and websites — and, yes, there Donald Trump is the consequence of are left-wing versions as well, but they are irresponsible politicking by Republican much less inÀuential. Democrats often felt leaders, the culmination of decades of disadvantaged by the rise of Rush Limbaugh cultivating unrealistic expectations within the and Fox News, but in retrospect Limbaugh politics of resentment. It’s good to see leading and Fox created a conservative echo chamber Republicans standing up to him today, but the that hurt the Republican Party by tugging it situation recalls the Chinese saying, qi hu nan to the right and sometimes breeding a myopic xia — when you’re riding a tiger, the hard part extremism in which reality is irrelevant. is getting off. A poll released in September found that Ŷ Republicans were more likely to think that Nicholas Kristof grew up on a sheep and Obama was born abroad than Ted Cruz was. That poll found that Trump supporters believed cherry farm in Yamhill, Oregon. So today the leading candidate for president in the party of Lincoln is not a conservative at heart, just a pandering opportunist. YOUR VIEWS Confusing campaign season up for grabs In this unpredictable election season, it is probably the most confusing voters have ever faced. Some of the presidential hopefuls are thinning out but the front runners are still pitching manure. Let’s look at the Democrats. Bernie Sanders and Hillary Clinton are running close and both have ethical problems but they are not bashing each other as are the Republicans. Sanders would represent the left wing of his party as a self-described socialist but his proposals and pursuit of greater economic equality and universal health care would fare no better in achieving them as president than he has as a senator. Clinton is ¿ghting an email problem, :all Street activity and the possibility that men do not want a woman president. The facts are, she is the most quali¿ed presidential candidate running in this race including those in the GOP stable. As the New Hampshire Concord Monitor noted in an East Oregonian opinion February 9, “No one has her experience, not in foreign policy but in putting the wheels of :ashington in gear again “ :hat about the Republicans" Donald Trump is in the lead but Ted Cruz is still pulling his “dirty tricks,” including his trick on Ben Carson. He is the most disliked man in Congress and not one of his colleagues support him. He is a mean- spirited zealot who has earned the enmity of fellow Republicans. The religious right adores him but he is uncompromising and so intractable against the Affordable Care Act and other issues facing the nation, one cannot depend on where he stands. His honesty is questionable after he failed to report his ¿nancial status to the Senate, stating it was a “paperwork error.” :ho believes that" Trump is a puzzle. :hat are we going to do with him" Ohio Gov. -ohn .asich surged in New Hampshire and looks better all the time. Then there is Marco (Polo) Rubio still traveling the silk route. Former Florida Gov. -eb Bush says Rubio is not a leader, an ironic comment by a candidate who appears to be of the same caliber. :e may be seeing the last of the Bushes. Former President George H. :. Bush was a pretty good president but his swaggering, arrogant son, George :. will not be a help to the present Bush. :ith the nation’s present global and domestic situation, this is not the time to put an amateur in the :hite House. 9oters need to face this reality and seriously consider their candidate. It’s still a good horse race. :here’s your bet" Dorys C. Grover Pendleton Turner a good choice for Pendleton mayor -ohn Turner is a man of courage, integrity, intelligence. Having worked with him as president of Blue Mountain Community College and now president of the Board of Commissioners of the Port of Umatilla, I can attest to his character, work ethic, and ability to bring people together in collaborative ways for successful outcomes. He has served the public as a warrior, mentor, educator, administrator and visionary economic developer for all of his adult life. He is a defender of freedom and an advocate of life-long learning. I endorse him unequivocally in his bid to be the next mayor of Pendleton. Kim B. Puzey Board member, BMCC General manager, Port of Umatilla Death penalty should be abolished :hile seemingly insigni¿cant to most people, I just read a story that is very important. Charles Sebesta, the District Attorney for Burleson County, Texas, was just disbarred for using false testimony and withholding evidence in the case of Anthony Graves, who was convicted of the murder of six people in 1994 and spent 18 years in prison, 12 on death row (in Texas where they are serious about the death penalty). Graves was exonerated in 2006. As a career prosecutor, it is gratifying to see one of my brethren get what’s coming to him. People like Sebesta are what give my profession a bad name. But more importantly, the case shines a light on the fatal Àaw in capital punishment.It’s an absolute certainty that we have executed innocent people and will continue to do so as long as we have this barbaric form of punishment. Put aside the cost or the fact it’s ineffective; the death penalty must be abolished in the United States to insure we don’t kill innocent people. Patrick J. Delaney Hermiston
