Roundup Saturday: Columns
Two from the WSJ today:
First, Peggy Noonan: The Year of the Reticent Voter
What we are seeing this year is not that unusual. I’ve seen it in the local level, too, especially with property tax overrides in Massachusetts; no one wants to say how they will vote for fear of what their neighbors think … “How can you vote against our children? How could you allow the school board to give teachers an 18% raise in the middle of a recession necessitating a tax increase?” The social fabric of what is – or was – America has changed a lot. I don’t know how we solve this problem. Social media isn’t solving it; it’s only getting worse. But we have to learn to accept each other and what we all believe.
Second, Michael Jenkins Jr.: If Not Trump, Who Will Cure the Rot?
We honestly have no idea what kind of president the four candidates will make but …
“Not every problem can be solved with a modest policy tweak. Sometimes a wrecking ball is needed.”
I normally don’t like much of what WSJ columnists have to say. But this morning, Jenkins nails it.
The rot has been going on for a very long time. It’s why I spent much of my life doing what I do. It’s why I spent a year trying to get the right Democrat elected – Jerry Brown – in 1991-1992 instead of Bill Clinton. It’s why I spent countless hours supporting Ralph Nader twice. It’s why, after banging my head against the wall while being involved in politics in the 1980s and 1990s, it became clear that I wanted nothing to do with any of it or any of them and, instead, would watch, report, write, and talk.
The country is a disaster. It’s everyone’s fault. Policy tweaks aren’t going to work; we really need an American rejuvenation and we need it now. Trump, Johnson, and Stein are acceptable choices for anyone who wants varying degrees of fundamental changes. Clinton is a third Obama term and that’s not what the nation needs right now.
I appreciate my friends who respect Hillary Clinton’s long tenure in government, that she is the first woman nominated to one of the two major parties, and even those who believe she is qualified (and no matter what I think about her, take her name off her resume and SHE IS qualified, many Americans are qualified to be president). But if you want real changes to Washington, DC, the choices are clear – Johnson brings it, Stein brings it in different ways than Johnson, and Trump brings it, in different ways than both Johnson and Stein.
I disagree with Barone here in the New York Post this morning: If Hillary loses, Democrats face a long time in exile
The Electoral College map generally favors Democrats – presuming their voters actually get out and vote. That isn’t always a given. The only reason Hillary Clinton is in trouble is because of who she is. It has nothing to do with the party or its future chances. And, after this round, I expect that the next tier of presidential candidates will be a lot younger and fresher, with different ideas and policies, more Martin O’Malley, Cory Booker, Joni Ernst, and Mia Love; less, geezer, if you will. The 2016 election is the last Baby Boomer presidential election, thankfully. The dirty hippy generation has destroyed the music business, sex, and the minds of our young people, all for their own gluttonous benefit, generalizing. Be gone – all of you – from the political spectrum. It’s Gen-X’s turn. Last share of the day and then I, too, am moving on with life.
Jill Stein shared this today … fury: Saudi Arms Deal Backed By US Senators Who Got Cash From Weapons Contractor That Will Benefit