Jubelirer: Nation cannot afford four more years of ‘chaotic and caustic’ Trump presidency
When the Pennsylvania General Assembly held a joint session to remember the victims of the horrific terrorist attacks of 9/11, I sought to infuse hope and challenge in my message. Our nation was seriously fractured by roiling events such as the Clinton impeachment and the contested outcome of Bush versus Gore. An appeal to what Lincoln called our better angels seemed badly needed.
“Having seen true evil attack our nation, perhaps people will be less inclined to view our domestic contests as struggles between good and evil. Having seen the virtues of common endeavor against threat and assault, perhaps people will be less prone to driving wedges that divide and disrupt America. Having seen so many sacrifices made to save lives and to aid rescue and relief efforts, perhaps we will see more constructive concentration on repairing and reviving communities.”
Sadly, 19 years after 9/11 and nearly four years into the chaotic and caustic Trump presidency, our nation appears “oh-fer” on my fervent hopes. It has been nearly 14 years since I held public office. There are not many voters looking for my guidance. With few people left to be persuaded, this is more my protest against our lamentable political descent.
Daily, I find myself wondering what happened to the civic precepts and virtues that were instilled in my generation by parents, family members, good teachers, faith leaders and guiding hands across our neighborhoods. Respecting law and constitution. Tolerating and embracing others. Raising community standards. Putting public interest ahead of self-interest. Striving to give honor to a good name, rather than marketing a contrived reputation.
One message from that time remains constant: Your vote is your voice.
Over a long stint in the Pennsylvania Senate, I was described as too conservative, too liberal, too willing to negotiate with the other side, too stubborn in sticking to my positions, too resistant to regarding issues as absolutes. For me, the measuring stick that mattered was actions taken and remedies pursued, which required conversing and negotiating toward a justifiable and acceptable middle.
It is hard to watch what is happening in our country, as our ideals become tarnished, as attributes such as character, integrity, ethics, truth and the common good are turned into liabilities.
As we are frequently reminded, elections have consequences. The questionable tactics used to build up the Trump brand have in the eyes of many here and abroad been undermining American influence and identity. As the president’s words and conduct weekly grow more unrestrained by constitutional limits, separation of powers, ethics laws, or basic senses such as decency and empathy, it has become frightening what another four years might bring, when he will be free of having to submit to the judgment of the people. A true leader looks to strengthen, not sabotage, the institutions, agencies, and civil servants that make our nation function and provide essential continuity, irrespective of who holds the White House. America was never meant to be a league of warring tribes.
To be sure, not everything Trump does in policy is wrong. I have no difficulty in identifying moves both domestic and international that history will judge to be good ones. Trouble is, his mindset and means are so flawed that good decisions are made for poor reasons or are done in such an antagonistic manner that their merits are overshadowed.
The multitudinous problems confronting America are not of Donald Trump’s making. But through his penchant for dividing us, for only listening to those who share his worldview and subscribe to his blustering and bullying tactics, for spending inordinate time and resources on make believe crises, he is purposefully making things palpably worse.
What I have in common with Trump is that neither of us will live long enough to experience the full consequences of his disruptive decision making. The doubt and suspicion he casts over people and places. The dismantling or disabling of our key institutions and alliances. He seems remarkably unaffected by all this; it keeps me awake many nights.
In my lifetime, several presidents have set a poor example through their notorious public conduct and private lapses. LBJ, Nixon, Clinton are on this list. Yet, they each had moments of transcending leadership, when they inspired, when they set aside parochial concerns for national glory, when they sought to build bridges in our nation and around the globe. Whether the comeback trail begins in January 2021 or 2025, someone is going to have the monumental job of picking through the policy wreckage and pulling our nation back together. In 2016, there was merely suspicion that Donald Trump was unqualified to be president. Now we have indisputable proof that he will not change for the better, nor will our nation, until we the people rise and change our leadership and our direction.