A4
Opinion
Blue Mountain Eagle
Wednesday, June 22, 2016
Trump will
make GOP
unrecognizable
his is the era of disruptive
technologies.
Uber is one for the taxi
industry, AirBNB for hoteliers,
the internet for newspapers.
Such technologies use
innovation to create an entirely
new market with an entirely
new value. The rules of the
game must be quickly rewritten
and long-entrenched powers
are thrown scrambling to the
bottom of the heap.
Donald Trump is such a
disruptive technology for the
Republican Party. The GOP
will be unrecognizable once
he is through with it, whether
that is in November or two
presidential terms down the
road.
Over the course of his
campaign, Trump has
dismantled numerous supposed
cornerstone beliefs of the
Republican party, sometimes
for good and sometimes in
a way that will do longterm
damage to the GOP.
Here are a few examples:
Republicans are known for
their unwavering support of the
American military, but Trump’s
plethora of potshots haven’t
spared American soldiers.
“He’s not a war hero,”
he famously sneered about
John McCain, a man who
suffered gravely in the name
of the United States after being
captured and tortured in a
North Vietnamese prison cell
for more than fi ve years.
And last week he accused
soldiers of graft and corruption:
“Iraq, crooked as hell. How
about bringing baskets of
money — millions and millions
of dollars — and handing it out
... I want to know who were
the soldiers that had that job,
because I think they’re living
very well right now, whoever
they may be.”
He also has plans to privatize
veterans’ care and was caught
lying about his fi nancial
support for veterans’ charities,
only cutting the check months
after he promised he would
and after being repeatedly
questioned about it by The
Washington Post. He also
said he would order American
service members to kill the
families of ISIS members,
something that would make
them immediate war criminals.
He has also excoriated George
W. Bush and his wars in Iraq
and Afghanistan.
Another example: Perhaps
one of the thickest planks in the
Republican platform in recent
decades has been opposing
abortion.
And despite being pro-
choice for much of his life,
Trump now says no one is as
anti-abortion as he is.
Yet he went out of his way
to support Planned Parenthood
when the organization was
under routine attack during
Republican primary debates.
“You can say whatever you
want, but they have millions of
women going through Planned
Parenthood that are helped
greatly,” he said.
It caused millions of heads to
spin, but it didn’t cause his poll
numbers to dip.
Neither did his background
T
Blue Mountain
EAGLE
P UBLISHED EVERY
W EDNESDAY BY
— three wives and two
divorces — which you think
may have scared off evangelical
voters who make up such a
powerful segment of the GOP.
You might think Trump’s
inability to name a single Bible
verse would be held against
him by voters, but it’s not so.
Just this week he attacked
another sacred cow within the
GOP coalition: the National
Rifl e Association. Trump said
he would approach the NRA
about a law that would ban
people on the terrorist watch
list from buying guns. It’s a
great idea — something more
than 90 percent of Americans
agree with — but because of
NRA power and threats such a
bill has not been able to pass
the Senate.
Trump’s naiveté and his ego
have allowed him to bust down
doors no one thought any GOP
candidate could get away with.
He has leveled blistering
attacks on Fox News and
popular anchor Megyn Kelly.
He has been notably fi ckle
on matters of policy, and
his anti-free trade platform
is at odds with Republican
orthodoxy that promotes
industry-led policies.
And don’t get us started
on immigration. Party leaders
like Paul Ryan have threatened
to sue Trump over his
immigration bans and forced
deportations. And no one in
either party takes Trump’s
idea to build a wall and make
Mexico pay for it seriously.
He has ripped apart
Obamacare at every turn, but
also spoke in support of making
sure the government didn’t let
people “die on the streets.”
Trump’s success is
inexplainable on one hand, but
quite simple on the other.
He is a reminder that the
boogeymen that have been
propping up the Republican
Party for generations have
become outdated. A majority of
Americans are no longer fearful
about gays or marijuana or
Communist health care.
Trump has created new
boogeymen — mostly racially
focused — that have had
success in congealing a sizable
contingent of Republicans
around him. But he’s certainly
polling in the mid 30s, a
disastrous number, and if he
fails in the November election
or even fails to make it that
far, Republicans will have a
diffi cult task of rebuilding the
Grand Old Party.
Yet all his wild disruptions
have yanked a few rotten
planks from the Republican
platform. There is a chance it is
rebuilt as a more modern party,
released from the shackles of
a few bad stances. But there is
also the risk that it is reborn as
a mutant mess of dangerously
far-right, anti-immigration,
isolationist insult comics.
Trump will not leave
anything as he found it.
That may be benefi cial in
the Republican primary, but
it’s more than a little nerve-
wracking to think there is a
chance he could recast what it
means to be president of the
most powerful county on Earth.
F ARMER ’ S F ATE
Crying babies and salesmen
By Brianna Walker
For the Blue Mountain Eagle
My fi ngers were tingling with
numbness as I bounced my baby on an
exercise ball. It was one of those long,
lousy days where baby was tired and
crabby — which in turn made me tired
and crabby.
The more I bounced, the sleepier
he got. The sleepier he got, the louder
his “you can’t make me go to sleep”
cries were. The louder they got, they
shorter they became, though. Soon his
head started to loll against my arm,
which caused a welcome but increased
tingling sensation as his body started
to become dead-weight.
This little boy is a chunk. We’ve
laughed that buying clothes for him
is like purchasing a computer. It’s
obsolete and outgrown before you’ve
arrived home.
His eyes closed, my fi ngers numb
on my right hand, and his whimpering
barely audible now. A few more min-
utes of gentle bouncing, and I would
fi nally be able to get some much need-
ed chores done. Like take a shower
and get dressed!
I fi nally decided to chance it. I
stood up. So far so good. I kept up
the bouncing-like motion in my arms
as I headed for the bed. The thought
crossed my mind that maybe I could
just lay down too — only for a minute
— how good it would feel to close my
eyes and just...
That’s when the doorbell rang.
And not some sprightly “ding-dong”
ring. No, my 7-year old loves chang-
ing out the sound. A long, dark organ
dirge banged loudly
through the speakers.
Immediately a nap
was out of the ques-
tion. The baby let
out a loud and angry
scream, drowned out
Brianna
only by the still play-
Walker
ing doorbell. Did I
mention it was long?
With the doorbell still playing its
ghastly song, and the baby screaming
at the top of his lungs, I opened the
door — to a salesman. A door-to-door
salesman. I felt like crying too.
The man tried really hard to ignore
the screaming baby, the pajamas and
a hairdo that looked like I’d slept in it
for a week — I’m sure it couldn’t have
been more than a couple of days. He
started his spiel, and I kept trying to
quiet a baby. Suddenly the baby spit
up. Epically spit-up. Warm baby puke
oozed down my shoulder and puddled
in my elbow before making rhythmic
splats on the deck.
The man looked down at his prod-
uct and back up to a crying baby and
a mom that was standing there in pa-
jamas and baby puke, and I think he
realized his speech was going to be
wasted. He stopped mid-sentence.
“Ma-am, I can see you’re busy.
You just have a good day, ya hear?”
He nodded at me as he backed
down the porch, away from the baby
puke that was still glopping down my
arm.
Later that day, I had fed the baby
and fi nally, fi nally gotten him to a
light slumber. That’s when the horrible
doorbell rang again.
The baby rolled and began fret-
ting. I was torn between answering
the door or trying to keep the baby
asleep. I opted for the baby. I cooed to
him and rubbed his back. The doorbell
droned on for its one-minute song, and
I released my breath when it ended.
The baby was still sleeping. Then it
rang again. No way could I keep him
asleep for another minute of that rack-
et. He was soon awake — thankfully
not screaming. I scooped him up and
headed for the door. Maybe it was im-
portant. After all they rang twice.
I guess it was important. It was a
couple ladies inquiring about my eter-
nal salvation and wanting to leave me
pamphlets to read. As they started into
their rehearsed questions, the baby
leaned away from me and puked.
Missing the one lady’s shoe by less
than an inch. She looked up quickly.
“I didn’t realize your baby was
sick,” she stammered, thrusting the
pamphlets into her purse and scurry-
ing down the porch. Baby puke is like
kryptonite to unsolicited visitors.
I headed back in the house, turned
the ringer off the doorbell and started
thinking up a sign for the front door. I
think it should be something like: “No
Soliciting. We are too broke to buy
anything. We know who we are vot-
ing for. We have already found Jesus.
Seriously, unless you are giving away
tractors, ammo, have a package from
Amazon or are selling Thin Mints, go
away! We have baby puke, and we
know how to use it!”
Brianna Walker occasionally
writes about the Farmer’s Fate for the
Blue Mountain Eagle.
L ETTERS TO THE E DITOR
Britton a community- ’62 Days a success
minded, reasonable
— except for the
businessman
women’s restroom
To the Editor:
I regularly attend the meeting
of the Grant County Court. I have
found Commissioner Boyd Britton
to be a good listener, a fair-minded
individual and eager to research is-
sues that are presented.
Boyd owns and operates a busi-
ness in Grant County. I have been
observant of his business practices,
and when he has constructed any-
thing for me the price has been rea-
sonable, and the work is certainly of
good quality.
I also know that Boyd is com-
munity minded. He has been gen-
erous with his time and expertise
when asked to produce items for
display. His business has been gen-
erous with donations for activities
and groups asking for donations.
I do not believe in recall to re-
place an elected offi cial. If the cit-
izens are unhappy with an elected
offi cial, there is always the ballot
box and an election. Grant County
has had enough problems. It is time
for the citizens and residents to
work together to keep the diversity
we enjoy, and the benefi ts of living
here. Thank you.
Sharon Livingston
Long Creek
To the Editor:
Another ’62 Days has come and
gone, and we feel like it was a suc-
cess. We cannot thank those who
participated enough, the vendors,
parade participants, Hope 4 Paws
breakfast, Stephanie Coleman and
the barbecue, Hugh Snook and the
Gold Rush Walk/Run. The “Voices
from the Past” was very well re-
ceived as well as “Romancing the
West” on Friday evening and St.
Thomas Church’s pie social. A lot
of work, preparation and volunteers
go into putting an event like this on.
This being said, I would like to
address the young or older women
who totally trashed the women’s
restroom at Sels on Saturday. You
know who you are and I don’t, but
if I ever fi nd out who you are, you
will be “blackballed” from Sels for-
ever. I know your mothers taught
you better. Our thanks for providing
you with a fun evening was to do
fi lthy things to the ladies’ room. I
hope you are proud of yourselves.
On the other hand, you gentle-
men were gentlemen and kept your
facility very clean.
Leslie Traylor
The Whiskey Gulch Gang
Madam mayor
To the Editor:
I have lived in Granite for 21
years. It is sure nice to know we
have a secret police department.
It must be a secret depu-
ty because no one in Granite
that I have talked to has ever
heard of or seen our chief,
now retired in good standing.
I am sure glad you informed
us.
I missed his retirement party!
Granite has many depart-
ments patrolling our area: Ore-
gon State Police from La Grande,
Baker City, John Day, county
police from Grant and Bak-
er counties, forest police from
Wallowa-Whitman and Umatilla
Forests.
Why, with a population of 20
people, does Granite need a town
police department?
Who paid his salary? I don’t
see any mention in the financial
report.
Where was his office? I never
had a chance to complain about
anything.
Mayor Sandy Smith should re-
sign for wasting all our city funds
if there is any money left in the
city accounts.
Mitchell Fielding
Granite
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