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About East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current | View Entire Issue (May 6, 2016)
Page 4A OPINION East Oregonian Friday, May 6, 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 kick in the pants to Wheeler County oficials, who have a mess on their hands after asking for the resignation of a county judge without presenting any evidence of wrongdoing. We’ve written about the issue and will continue to follow it. In case you need a primer: Two county commissioners asked county judge Patrick Perry to resign during a public meeting in Fossil. Yet in their letters and public testimony, they did not reveal why they were asking for his resignation. They made subtle allusions to improprieties, but no charges were leveled. Members of the public were confused and asked for further explanation, yet none was proffered. Maybe there is a good reason why Judge Perry should resign. It’s quite possible. But the two commissioners, county sheriff and other county oficials did not produce any evidence supporting their opinion that Perry should resign. They should have stated what they are privately alleging. By not doing so, they have done nothing but smear a man’s reputation, allow the rumor mill to churn on, and allow small Wheeler County to be divided and kept in the dark about a possible serious problem within their local government. The defeat of true conservatism W A tip of the hat to Pendleton City Council for a couple of wise decisions out of Tuesday’s meeting. First off, councilors decided to not damage the city’s longstanding relationship with Blue Mountain Community College by rewriting a lease agreement for the baseball ield. The city had discussed that it may need to kick the college out on short notice if a business came snifing around the property. Then the council opted to wait until a ire bond was fully formed before pitching it to voters. The ire department is eager to build a new ire station with more space and updated equipment, but when a deal for the St. Anthony property fell through there was no immediate clear choice for the next best spot. Rather than agreeing to put a measure on the ballot and then inding out what would be included, the council decided to wait until at least November, if not later. It’s nice to see the horse put before the cart. A kick in the pants to two of the three Republican candidates for President. Or former candidates. Ted Cruz and John Kasich dropped out in between the time ballots arrived on the doorstep of Oregon voters and the time when those ballots need to be returned. These important late changes to elections are when the vote by mail system is at its weakest. It’s likely that some voters registered Republican in this election solely to vote for or against Donald Trump. Now that vote is of no concern, and it is much too late to unregister as a Republican or take part in another party’s primary. On the Democratic side, give Bernie Sanders credit for at least staying in this long, to allow Oregon voters to have one say in a national race. It’s almost assured that Oregon Democrats will reward him a signiicant number of the state’s delegates. 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. hen Donald Trump knocked didn’t want True Conservatism any irst Jeb Bush and then Marco more than they wanted Bushism Rubio out of the Republican 2.0. Maybe they would have wanted primary campaign, he defeated not it from a candidate with more only the candidates themselves but charisma and charm and less dogged their common theory of what the GOP unlikability. But the entire Trump should be — the idea that the party phenomenon suggests otherwise, and could essentially re-create George W. Trump as the presumptive nominee is basically a long proof against the True Bush’s political program with slightly Ross different domestic policy ideas and Douthat Conservative theory of the Republican Party. re-create Bush’s political majority as Comment Trump proved that movement well. conservative ideas and litmus tests Now, after knocking Ted Cruz don’t really have any purchase on millions of out of the race with a sweeping win in Republican voters. Again and again, Cruz and Indiana, Trump has beaten a second theory the other GOP candidates stressed that Trump of where the GOP needs to go from here: a wasn’t really a conservative; theory you might call True they listed his heresies, Conservatism. cataloged his deviations, True Conservatism likes dug up his barely buried to portray itself as part of an liberal past. No doubt this unbroken tradition running case resonated with many back through Ronald Republicans. But not with Reagan to Barry Goldwater nearly enough of them to and the Founding Fathers. make Cruz the nominee. It has roots in that past, but Trump proved that it’s also a much more recent many evangelical voters, phenomenon, conceived in supposedly the heart of a the same spirit as Bushism True Conservative coalition, 2.0 but with the opposite are actually not really intent. If Bushism 2.0 looked at George W. Bush’s values voters or religious conservatives after all, and that the less frequently evangelicals peaks — his post-Sept. 11 popularity, his go to church, the more likely they are to 2004 majority — and saw a model worth vote for a philandering sybarite instead of a recovering, True Conservatism looked at his pastor’s son. Cruz would probably be on his administration’s collapse and argued that it proved that he had been far too liberal and that way to the Republican nomination if he had simply carried the Deep South. But unless all his “compassionate conservative” heresies voters were in church every Sunday, Trump’s had led the Republican Party into a ditch. identity politics had more appeal than Cruz’s Thus True Conservatism’s determination theological-political correctness. to avoid both anything that savored of big Trump proved that many of the party’s government and anything that smacked moderates and establishmentarians hate the of compromise. Where Bush had been thought of a True Conservative nominee even softhearted, True Conservatism would be more than they fear handing the nomination sternly Ayn Randian; where Bush had been to a proto-fascist grotesque with zero political free-spending, True Conservatism would experience and poor impulse control. That be austere; where Bush had taken working- goes for the prominent politicians who refused class Americans off the tax rolls, True to endorse Cruz, the prominent donors who sat Conservatism would put them back on — for on their hands once the ield narrowed and all their own good. And above all, where Bush the moderate-Republican voters in blue states had sometimes reached for the center, True who turned out to be #NeverCruz irst and Conservatism would stand on principle, ight #NeverTrump less so or even not at all. hard, and win. Finally, Trump proved that many This philosophy found champions on professional True Conservatives, many of talk radio, it shaped the Tea Party’s zeal, it inluenced Paul Ryan’s budgets, it infused Mitt the same people who layed RINOs and Romney’s “You built that” rhetoric. But it was demanded purity throughout the Obama only in the government shutdown of 2013 that era, were actually just playing a convenient part. From Fox News’ 10 p.m. hour to talk it found its real standard-bearer: Ted Cruz. radio to the ranks of lesser pundits, a long And Cruz ended up running with it further list of people who should have been all-in than most people thought possible. His 2016 for Cruz on ideological grounds either lirted campaign strategy was simple: Wherever the with Trump, affected neutrality or threw party’s most ideological voters were, there he down their cloaks for the Donald to stomp would be. If Obama was for it, he would be against it. Where conservatives were angry, he over the nomination. Cruz thought he would would channel their anger. Where they wanted have a movement behind him, but part of that movement was actually a racket, and a ighter; he would be a ighter. Wherever the Trumpistas were simply better marks. party’s activists were gathered, on whatever Cruz will be back, no doubt. He’s young, issue — social or economic, immigration he’s indefatigable, and he can claim — and or the lat tax — he would be standing by will claim, on the 2020 hustings — that True their side. He would win Iowa, the South, Conservatism has as yet been left untried. But his native Texas, the Mountain West. They wanted Reagan, or at least a fantasy version of that will be a half-truth; it isn’t being tried this year because the Republican Party’s voters Reagan? He would give it to them. have rejected him and it, as they rejected It didn’t work — but the truth is it almost did. In the days before and after the Wisconsin another tour for Bushism when they declined to back Rubio and Jeb. primary, with delegate accumulation going What remains, then, is Trumpism. Which his way and the polling looking plausible is also, in its lurching, sometimes insightful, once the Northeastern primaries were over, it often wicked way, a theory of what kind of seemed like Cruz could reasonably hope for a party the Republicans should become, and nomination on the second or third ballot. one that a plurality of Republicans have now So give the Texas senator some credit. He actually voted to embrace. took evangelical votes from Mike Huckabee, Whatever reckoning awaits the GOP and Ben Carson and Rick Santorum; he took libertarian votes from Rand Paul; he outlasted conservatism after 2016 will have to begin with that brute fact. Where the reckoning goes and outplayed Marco Rubio; he earned from there — well, now is a time for pundit support from Mitt Romney, Jeb Bush and humility, so your guess is probably as good as Lindsey Graham, who once joked about his mine. murder. Nobody worked harder; no campaign ■ ran a tighter ship; no candidate was more Ross Douthat joined The New York disciplined. Times as an Op-Ed columnist in April 2009. But it turned out that Republican voters Trump proved that many True Conservatives were just playing a convenient part. YOUR VIEWS Bailor for county commissioner Please join me in supporting Tom Bailor for county commissioner. Tom is a small business operator who has also worked with CTUIR in cultural resources management, renewable energy, and toxic and nuclear waste cleanup. He holds a graduate degree from Gonzaga in organizational leadership, and in his roles as manager, program developer and teacher he has worked with a wide cross-section of people, helping to build community. Tom is excited about the ways technology — unmanned aircraft and precision agriculture, as well as discoveries yet to come — will shape our future, and he wants to help Umatilla County plan for that future. In this time of accelerated change, having a voice from Tom’s generation on the Board of Commissioners will be more important than ever. Bette Husted Pendleton Elfering is honest, sincere, hardworking I have known Bill Elfering for almost 50 years and over the decades I have always appreciated his genuine interest in serving his community. I have found him to be an honest, sincere and hardworking member of our community. Over the last year I have had the privilege of working closely with Bill on several community projects and have been impressed with his strong desire and leadership in developing new and creative programs and services to assist our business community. In my opinion, the Umatilla County Development Ofice under the direction of County Commissioner Bill Elfering has irmly positioned itself to be a major player for economic development in our region. I am extremely pleased to endorse Bill Elfering for re-election as Umatilla County commissioner. Fred Bradbury Pendleton Cimmiyoti for Pendleton council I am writing to urge consideration of Cody Cimmiyotti for Pendleton City Council. I have known Cody for four years, he is hard working and dedicated. Cody has been a resident of Pendleton all his life, and became a home owner at 23. He is committed to our community and wants to be instrumental in Pendleton’s growth and development It is always good to see a candidate that wants to approach issues and concerns with an open mind. My address is not within Cody’s district so I am not able to vote for him at the ballot box. He does, however, have my vote of conidence as an excellent choice to serve on city council. Jane Neal Pendleton