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Page 4A OPINION East Oregonian Wednesday, August 23, 2017 Founded October 16, 1875 KATHRYN B. BROWN Publisher DANIEL WATTENBURGER Managing Editor TIM TRAINOR Opinion Page Editor MARISSA WILLIAMS Regional Advertising Director MARCY ROSENBERG Circulation Manager JANNA HEIMGARTNER Business Office Manager MIKE JENSEN Production Manager OUR VIEW Afghanistan forever Everyone knows the mighty is eerily similar to his predecessors. It’s the Obama plan really, with an militaries that have fallen in additional 4,000 troops. Few on Afghanistan: Alexander the Great, the ground expect that to make any the British during their “sun never difference. sets” era, the Soviets when they So the takeaway from Trump’s were gobbling up every other speech is that this country will country in the vicinity to join the have troops in USSR. None of those long No country has Afghanistan into the future. have warred in the America country as long warred as long Remember, has troops not as the Americans, in Afghanistan just in Iraq, but in however, who have Japan and now been battling as America has. Germany, The Philippines. It in Afghanistan for has for decades and 16 years. More has no plans to change the status than 2,300 American soldiers have quo. died in the fight. And the monetary Perhaps this perpetual overseas cost is approaching $1 trillion — an deployment is in America’s best estimate by the Center for Strategic interest, and perhaps it is in the and International Studies pegs it at world’s best interest, too. Perhaps it $841 billion and climbing. It is our is just a modern form of colonialism. country’s longest war. (And there’s no reason it can’t be Donald Trump is the third both.) president to oversee operations Our worldwide police role is an there. This was America’s War after 9/11. Then it was George W. Bush’s expensive endeavor, though. It’s something Trump’s “America First” War, then Obama’s War and now it campaign targeted, though in his is Trump’s War. first major policy pronouncement President Trump made his has made little change. Afghanistan Afghanistan policy the center of remains a quagmire. his first primetime address to the At the same time, the U.S. does American people. Though the man not currently employ an Afghanistan campaigned against Bush’s ill-fated ambassador. John Bass was foreign policy decisions in Iraq and nominated by Trump in July but has Afghanistan, and Obama’s own yet to be confirmed. Quagmires on mistakes in Libya and Afghanistan, all sides. Trump’s plan in the latter country 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. YOUR VIEWS Great to be able to host fair, but some problems What a great job getting the new fair facility ready on time! A lot of blood, sweat and tears, I’m sure. Beautiful! Only two major issues occurred this year that I wanted to share. The first being the hate expressed to one of the new booths this year inside the hall. Things were said intentionally, threats were given and display items were stolen. You know who you are and who you were representing. The sad part was using your children and young adults to do your hatred. The second issue was even worse! We had our young high school students work the parking lot in extreme heat. How were they treated by quite a few angry adults? These kids were yelled at, called names, hand gestures expressing these adults’ attitudes and immaturity! No matter how unorganized the parking seemed this year, there was absolutely no excuse for this behavior from adults! If you don’t think hate isn’t alive in our small county of Umatilla then open your eyes. This happened to our children and grandchildren of all races and sexes and ages. Children treat others by the way they are taught by adults. What we say, how we act, what we teach — these children experienced what it’s like on the other side of the fence. It’s a good time to have a family talk. The responsibility is on your shoulders. Try to lead by example. I am okay with admitting when I am wrong and I can change my mind. Bernie Sanderson Hermiston Repeating charges of racism dull their effect Some thoughts on the “March Against Racism:” People, it’s time to realize that we ordinary citizens do not hate our fellow humans. Time to realize that we do indeed try to judge by content of character rather than by color of skin. Time to realize that the constant drumbeat of “Racist!” “Hater!” “Sexist!” “Xenophobe!” “Homophobe!” “Islamophobe!” “Transphobe!” “Bigot!” “Nazi!” “Fascist!” “Trump voter!” is of no help whatsoever. Time to realize that after about the billionth repetition, such terms lose their sting and are greeted with the raucous, contemptuous laughter they so richly deserve. Time to realize that disagreement is not hatred. John Kaufman Pendleton OTHER VIEWS Measuring, and mismeasuring, the Trump conundrum P erhaps the most astonishing way of viewing job approval as the thing about Donald Trump’s pre-eminent measure of a president’s victory last November was that, performance might be lacking when according to exit polls, 60 percent it comes to Trump. But if that is true, of the voters had an unfavorable nobody has come up with a better impression of Trump on the day he measure, at least not at the moment. was elected president of the United Even though much of the political States. reporting and commentary at the Now, it’s remarkable that after all moment focuses on Trump’s excesses, Byron that has happened, Trump’s favorable Bill McInturff also sees something York and unfavorable rating — not his job bigger than Trump at work. Comment approval, but whether people hold a “We are at the logical end of a favorable or unfavorable view of him generation of change in American — is virtually the same as it was on election politics,” McInturff said. “Political scientists day. measure polarization by the gap between how A new Marist poll found that the president’s party rates a 60 percent of those surveyed president versus the opposition have an unfavorable view of the party. President Clinton was president, versus 34 percent who the most polarizing president have a favorable view and six in polling history, followed by percent who don’t know. Bush 43, who took over the In the RealClearPolitics mantle of ‘most polarizing’ until average of all polls on the replaced by President Obama, favorable/unfavorable question, with the largest gap now being Trump is now at 55.2 percent held by President Trump.” unfavorable versus 39.6 percent McInturff’s conclusion: favorable. That is little changed “President Trump did not begin from his average on November this trend, but he has become 8: 58.5 percent unfavorable, its logical end point. Hence, it’s versus 37.5 percent favorable. hard to change numbers when 85 percent of Considering all that has gone on in the your own party likes you and functionally no Trump presidency — it’s too much to recount one does in the other party.” in a sentence or two — the stability of the A Trump re-election campaign, if there is Trump favorable/unfavorable rating is notable. one, seems light years away; who knows what The other measure, Trump’s job approval will happen between now and then? What is rating, has fallen since he took office; it more pressing is what effect Trump’s standing was 43.8 percent in the RCP average in will have on the 2018 midterms, where his first week in office and is 38.6 percent Republican prospects seem very strong in now. Pollsters and strategists believe the job the Senate and far less so in the House. Brad approval rating — which Trump of course Todd, a Republican strategist who has worked didn’t have before January 20 — is much with many congressional candidates, believes more important than personal approval. there should be a new way of measuring the “In every model I am familiar with over the political climate. past 40 years, job approval has been a more “I think two polarizing presidencies in a influential predictor than a personal favorable row have broken this measuring stick,” Todd rating and I believe that will be true for wrote in an email. “Job approval is more President Trump as well,” said Bill McInturff, important than personal favorability, but the Republican pollster who, along with neither is as important as what we call the gas Democrat Peter Hart, conducts the Wall Street pedal/brake pedal question.” Journal-NBC poll, in an email exchange. By “gas pedal/brake pedal,” Todd referred “Long ago, presidents could have some gap to whether voters believe Congress should between how we perceived them personally, serve as a brake on a president’s policy with Carter and Reagan, for example, having choices or whether lawmakers should offer stronger personal ratings than job approval at more help and support to the president. various points. An exception was President “In 2010, Obama had high personal Clinton in 1998, who had terrible personal favorables, softening job approval, and a ratings, but high job approval.” really high brake pedal number,” Todd wrote. Right now, Trump’s job approval rating “That led to a landslide against his party in the and personal favorability rating are very close, mid-term. His personal favorability eventually as are the job disapproval rating and personal dropped, before rising again in 2018 just as unfavorable rating. But is that disastrous voters were rebuking his chosen successor.” for the president, or not? There’s still what “The question to watch is not what voters happened last election day to consider. think of a president personally, but whether or In another email exchange, David Winston, not they think he needs supervision or not,” a pollster who has done extensive work for Todd added. House Republicans, agreed that job approval Trump is a “conundrum,” Todd concluded, is a more important measure than personal “because voters see him as a brake pedal on approval, but also noted that Trump’s polls are both parties. So it is unclear whether they will hard to interpret. put a brake pedal on the brake pedal in the “Trying to compare Trump numbers with next midterm.” prior presidents at this point is very difficult, The bottom line is that evaluating Trump’s particularly given that he started with 60 standing is probably more complicated percent unfavorable on election night,” said than simply citing a falling job approval Winston. “He also had a significant amount number. This is a presidency like no other, of support coming from people who had an and it should be no surprise that measuring it unfavorable view of him. Of the people that presents new problems. voted for him, 20 percent had an unfavorable ■ view, according to the exit polls.” Byron York is chief political correspondent Winston’s comments suggest that the old for The Washington Examiner. The stability of the Trump favorable/ unfavorable rating is notable. CONTACT YOUR REPRESENTATIVES U.S. Senators State Senator Ron Wyden Washington office: 221 Dirksen Senate Office Bldg. Washington, DC 20510 202-224-5244 La Grande office: 541-962-7691 Bill Hansell, District 29 900 Court St. NE, S-423 Salem, OR 97301 503-986-1729 Sen.BillHansell@state.or.us Representatives Greg Barreto, District 58 Jeff Merkley 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. Submitted letters must be signed by the author and include a phone number. Send letters to 211 S.E. Byers Ave. Pendleton, OR 97801 or email editor@eastoregonian.com. Washington office: 313 Hart Senate Office Building Washington, DC 20510 202-224-3753 Pendleton office: 541-278-1129 900 Court St. NE, H-38 Salem, OR 97301 503-986-1458 Rep.GregBarreto@state.or.us Greg Smith, District 57 900 Court St. NE, H-482 Salem, OR 97301 503-986-1457 Rep.GregSmith@state.or.us