Page 4A
OPINION
East Oregonian
Thursday, March 3, 2016
OTHER VIEWS
Hillary Clinton’s moment
Founded October 16, 1875
KATHRYN B. BROWN
DANIEL WATTENBURGER
Publisher
Managing Editor
JENNINE PERKINSON
TIM TRAINOR
Advertising Director
Opinion Page Editor
Y
OUR VIEW
A load of Trump
Donald Trump is now clearly,
We would argue the man is
unequivocally, indisputably in line to clearly capitalizing on displeasure
become the Republican nominee for with GO3 of¿ceholders’ actions
president.
during the Obama administration.
In the process, he has left quite a
Those Republicans told their
wake behind him.
constituents that the president was
Trump’s success
the devil incarnate
on Super Tuesday
and out to destroy
“started a civil war”
America. Those
So how is
in the Republican
of¿ceholders now
party, according
seem surprised that
Trump, the
to The Wall Street
their constituents
antithesis
Journal conservative
became apoplectic
commentator 3eggy
when Congress took
of so many
Noonan.
any action to work
supposedly
With his abrasive
with the president to
and entertaining
solve problems.
central
personality and his
Trump is also
Republican
knife-sharp barbs,
a celebrity. And
Trump has cleft the
Our culture is
ideals, doing rich.
*O3 into a shape few
currently obsessed
so well with with both, conÀating
believe it could form.
On one hand,
them with character
Republican
Trump has excoriated
traits of merit,
George W. Bush and
morality and
voters?
the Iraq War. On
competence.
the other hand, he
Trump has
advocated hunting down and killing lifted a veil over a segment of the
the families of Islamic State soldiers Republican 3arty that was always
— a blatant war crime.
there, but had been mostly relegated
On one hand, he spoke
to screaming at the establishment
glowingly of 3lanned 3arenthood
from beneath the bleachers.
in a nationally televised debate and
For decades, a majority of
has a long history of pro-choice
the Republican party have been
statements. On the other hand, he
classic conservatives who want the
says he is now pro-life and when
government to run more ef¿ciently.
asked to elaborate by Bloomberg
There was always a wing that
News said: “It’s an issue. I mean it’s wanted less government, no matter
an issue, and it’s a strong issue.”
the ef¿ciency. And there was also
On one hand, Trump said he
some who claimed to be socially
would not let people without health
conservative, but their steadfast
insurance “die on the streets” and
support of the thrice-married, foul-
wrote in 2011 that he supports
mouthed, egotistical, materialistic
universal health care. On the other
and nonreligious Trump shows that
hand, he called Obamacare a “heat-
was just a front.
seeking missile that will destroy jobs
We’d argue it was a front for a
and small businesses” during this
political philosophy of opposing
campaign. He has vowed to repeal it. progress. Sure, that means opposing
Trump has mocked and
gay marriage and opposing health
humiliated members of his own
care reform. And it also means
party, from operative Karl Rove —
opposing immigration reform and
who helped run the Bush machine
tax reform, from creating a national
— to popular Republican governor
energy policy and modernizing
Nikki Haley, popular Fox News host our transportation plan. These
Megyn Kelly, popular 9ietnam War
anti-progress beliefs are laced
hero John McCain, etc. You get the
with racism, sexism, homophobia,
picture.
religious hatred and xenophobia.
He has been vitriolic and violent
Trump and his crowds have made
to the press, even the news stations
that clear at every stop on the
that have breathlessly given free
campaign trail — the support of
television time to his supposedly
the Ku Klux Klan is the most
elf-¿nanced campaign.
straightforward evidence thereof.
The man got into a Twitter war
This group of has crawled out
with the 3ope, for heaven’s sake.
from under the bleachers and has
So how on Earth is Trump, when
elbowed their way onto the stage.
he is the antithesis of so many
As the war for the microphone
supposedly central Republican
commences, the GO3 may just split
ideals, doing so well with
and crumble. And after listening to
Republican voters?
Trump, it will be anything but civil.
Democrats are aware of that, and
ou can look at Hillary Clinton’s
have consoled themselves by focusing
path to this juncture and marvel
on who her Republican opponent
at how dif¿cult she has often
might be: Trump. He racked up victory
made things for herself, creating
after victory on Tuesday, and Clinton’s
messes where there didn’t need to
remarks at a celebratory rally in Miami
be any, frittering away advantages,
on Tuesday night were a targeted
misunderstanding the mood of
rebuke of him.
voters, underestimating the mettle
Mocking his slogan, she said that
of opponents, and failing to cement
Frank
the country’s challenge was “not to
an image — and a message — that
Bruni
make America great again. America
seemed authentic and right.
Comment
never stopped being great. We have to
That’s a legitimate perspective.
make America whole.”
She’s a deeply Àawed politician.
She added: “Instead of building walls,
But she’s also a preternaturally determined,
we’re going to break down barriers.”
resourceful and patient one. Her path
Trump, at his own victory party, was more
illustrates that just as compellingly. For about
explicit and more derisive in his invocations
a quarter of a century, she has been vili¿ed
of her. Referring repeatedly
as loudly as she has been
to the ongoing investigation
lionized, told that her talents
of her email practices as
pale beside her husband’s,
secretary of state, he said
called “likable enough” but
that he’d be surprised if she
seldom lovable, and cast in
were even allowed to remain
supporting roles: the ¿rst
in the presidential race.
lady, the secretary of state.
He argued that she
She never retreated. Never
can’t credibly promise
gave up.
America any progress or
And as the returns from
solutions, given that she’s
Super Tuesday came in,
been involved in politics
nudging her closer to the
for decades and, in his
Democratic nomination,
estimation, has never
I realized that we weren’t
delivered.
just seeing greater clarity in
“You look at her record
a messy race for the White
as secretary of state — it’s
House and the possible
abysmal,” he said in a voice dripping with
approach of history: a ¿rst-ever major-party
contempt, adding that it would be easy to
female presidential nominee.
defeat her and he relished the thought of her as
We were seeing the vindication of a
an adversary.
fortitude and ¿erceness that warrant as much
To attain the presidency, a politician
notice as her less savory qualities.
needn’t be adored — just less loathed than the
She notched important wins Tuesday in
alternative.
Massachusetts, Texas, 9irginia, Tennessee,
In that same Quinnipiac poll, Trump’s
Georgia, Arkansas and Alabama, echoing her
unfavorable to favorable ratio was even
triumph in South Carolina on Saturday.
worse than Clinton’s: 59 to 34 percent. Her
Let’s give her this moment, because
supporters and advisers are accordingly
she fought her way here. She tuned out the
crafting a strategy of brutal negativity and
naysayers. She turned a blind eye to all
relentless attacks, as The New York Times
her scars. Her ability to do that may reÀect
reported earlier this week. Envisioning that,
unrestrained ambition, a sturdy con¿dence in
David 3louffe, who managed Barack Obama’s
her mission or — more likely — an intricate
2008 campaign, said that a Clinton bid would
cat’s cradle of both. Whichever the case, it
be less “hope and change” than “hate and
demonstrates a grit that could be her greatest
castrate.”
asset in a general election.
There are several problems with “hate and
But grit won’t be enough.
castrate.” One is that Trump already dwells
The surprising, impressive success of
in the sewer and most voters know it; to join
Sanders, who had his own key wins Tuesday,
him there isn’t to expose him but to degrade
has made that clear. There’s an ire and a
yourself.
disgust in the body politic — they fuel his
Another is that it doesn’t address the ire I
campaign just as they do Donald Trump’s —
mentioned earlier, the yearning to rebel. And a
and they’re built on a belief that the system is
disappointed Sanders voter with that yearning
rigged, the status quo is unacceptable and its
could, in a general election, sit on the sidelines
guardians are untrustworthy.
or vote for Trump before siding with Clinton,
Clinton is poorly positioned to mollify that
unless she makes some adjustments defter
rage, and the reason isn’t just coziness with
than any that she has made so far.
Wall Street. It’s her familiarity, her celebrity,
Worst of all, an epically nasty general-
her crowd. She’s political royalty, and she
election campaign would do nothing to unite
can put the crown deep in a closet; she can
the country and give the next president much
renounce it all she wants. There are voters
of a chance of governing effectively.
who will still see it there.
Clinton has the toughness to engage
And oh, the baggage she carries! Many
in — and survive — a brutally ugly contest.
more Americans have an unfavorable
She also has the smarts to know the cost of it.
impression of her than a favorable one: In
Has she honed the character and nimbleness to
a Quinnipiac University poll from early
prevail in a more inspiring, unifying way?
February, the split was 56 to 39 percent.
As well as we know her, this is yet to be
She conquers that ... how? By introducing
herself better to voters? They know her plenty revealed.
Ŷ
well. By unveiling yet another new image?
Frank Bruni has been a columnist for The
It’s hard to imagine there are any permutations
New York Times since 2011.
left.
Clinton is
political royalty.
She can put the
crown deep in
a closet, but
there are voters
who will still see
it there.
LETTERS POLICY
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.
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. The newspaper
reserves the right to withhold letters that address concerns about individual services and
products or letters that infringe on the rights of private citizens. Submitted letters must
be signed by the author and include the city of residence and a daytime phone number.
The phone number will not be published. Unsigned letters will not be published. Send
letters to Managing Editor Daniel Wattenburger, 211 S.E. Byers Ave. Pendleton, OR 97801
or email editor@eastoregonian.com.
YOUR VIEWS
Despite survey results, no
Pendleton housing shortage
The East Oregonian front page on
Saturday sported a headline, “City still
facing a housing shortage.”
The ¿rst sentence asserts that “3endleton
still faces a signi¿cant housing shortage.”
The article implies that there is a problem
and that city government should try to solve
it. This is misleading and mistaken.
$bout ¿ve years ago the city made an
effort to solve this alleged problem by
zoning seven acres of city-owned, vacant
land for high density housing and giving the
land to a developer with a plan to build some
70-plus units of “affordable” housing.
The developer initially built 22 units,
2- and 3-bedroom units, and is now adding
10 more. The developer is located in the
3ortland9ancouver area, so the rental
revenue is leaving 3endleton
The rents are in the $900 to $1,000 per
month range, but the units are Section 8
eligible so can be subsidized for low-income
residents who cannot afford this much.
However, the landlord does not accept
people with poor credit histories, felony
records or other indicators of potential
problems.
,f there is, indeed, a signi¿cant housing
shortage, I wonder why this developer has
not rapidly pursued adding another 30 or 40
units to this development" 3erhaps there is
not really such a shortage?
Your article reports that an estimated 30
percent of those who work in 3endleton live
outside the city and that of those, 40 percent
would live in 3endleton if they could ¿nd
“affordable, quality” housing. Of course,
quality and affordability are in the eye of the
beholder.
And it is also true that those who live
outside the city do not pay $60 per month
real estate tax to the city on a $120,000
house. Nor do they pay another $62 per
month in city watersewer charges. That
allows more “quality and affordability” for
housing outside the city.
The article reports that 156 new units
became available in the ¿ve years since the
city starting pushing for more “affordable”
housing. Of those, 22 were those described
above. Most other new units were produced
by local, private sector landlords.
For those units, the rental income stays
here. This suggests that perhaps the city
should not promote big, new developments,
but concentrate on reducing the housing
costs that are driven by the city taxes, water
sewer charges, city fees). The city could
also focus on making it easier for owners to
renovate existing units.
That would mean reviewing regulations
and addressing how city staff interact
with these local developers, builders and
landlords.
The U.S. Census reports that there are
about 6,800 housing units available in
3endleton for our population of about 17,000
people (one unit for every 2.5 people). Of
these, 57 percent are owner occupied and 80
percent have had the same occupants from
one year to the next. Median gross rent in
2013 was $448.
So let’s stop talking about a housing
shortage and talk about how to make
3endleton a more affordable place to live.
Betty Brunette
Pendleton