The elections of 2016 could affect all of us for decades to come — even for the rest of our lives. Some of the profound potential consequences will be considered in coming columns.
As “USA Today” emphasizes in full-page ads, all of us have a civic responsibility to “Know What You Do Not Know.”
That is always good advice for citizenship. But the stakes are way higher in 2016. One of our nation’s leading journalists gives this warning:
“This is a Joe McCarthy moment. People will be judged by where they stood at this time. Those who walked with Trump will be tainted forever after for the degradation of standards and the general election slaughter.”
Those views were not advanced by a liberal or by a far-right conservative (where people on both political wings fear a Trump or Cruz presidency for many good reasons).
David Brooks, one of the most thoughtful Conservative writers is escalating his warnings about Trump and about the disastrous directions of his own Republican Party.
It is worth noting that Brooks (along with his PBS liberal counterpart, Mark Shields) received a “Media Civility Award” for ways they exchange views from different political perspectives.
Many other thoughtful, experienced and civil Republican conservatives join Brooks in their concerns about the nation, the world and their political party because of Trump and other extremists on the far right.
Former Reagan adviser Bruce Bartlett is dismayed about what is happening to his Party. The only good thing, he says, is that if Trump is the nominee, he will lose so decisively that Republicans will need to remake the Party so that it more resembles Lincoln’s values, not the ill-informed, bigoted extremists.
Congressman Peter King has been a leader on Long Island for nearly half a century; he was considered a “maverick” for challenging office-holders, including his own party.
His voice has been loud and clear about the Republican “crazies” in Congress and candidates who not only embarrass his GOP Party, but are a danger to the nation.
Among the most incisive Republican commentators is Steve Schmidt.
He has long since apologized for the enormity of the mistake of selecting Sarah Palin as McCain’s running mate in 2008. He says no one, ever again, should consider voting for, or supporting, Ms. Palin.
If you have never read the acclaimed book, “Game Change,” or seen the film of that title, they are worth experiencing to see ways some Republicans escalated the party’s descent to this “Joe McCarthy” moment.
Folks on Long Island will have a chance to hear Schmidt when he speaks at Temple Emanuel in Great Neck on Sunday, May 15 at 3 p.m. (information: 516-482-5701).
I will be there. I try to take every opportunity to hear Steve Schmidt’s views.
Like David Brooks, he is a voice of sanity and civility during a time when extremists are wrecking his party.
How appropriate that Donald Trump teamed with the notorious and ill-tempered basketball coach, Bobby Knight, when he campaigned in Indiana.
These two bullies were made for each other.
As a “sidebar” to get some reality on Knight, read the book “Beer and Circus” about the corruption of college sports, including a call for Indiana University to fire Knight.
It was not enough that basketball myopics and alumni rallied uncritically to support Knight, but they launched all-out “Trump-like” attacks on the book’s author.
There were so many death threats against the Indiana professor who criticized the coach, that the university gave him a paid leave of absence as security protection, and advice to leave the state.
Indiana soon fired Bobby Knight. [Admonitory sidebar: Knight said Trump could rise to the top ranks of presidents, because like Truman he is willing to use atomic weapons. Be alert for veteran military leaders as critics of Trump’s reckless and dangerous views.]
Our nation will have a chance “to fire” Donald Trump on Nov. 8, unless enough smart Republicans find a way to stop him from becoming their nominee at their Cleveland convention in July.
I have always liked the double meaning of the Chinese symbol for “crisis.” We know that it represents “danger,” but as Gail Sheehy wrote decades ago in “The Predictable Crises of Adult Life,” that symbol can also mean “opportunity.”
If individuals and nations can face — and surmount — major challenges (and some crises literally can be life-threatening), they can grow from those learning experiences and be better positioned to move forward with greater maturity and wisdom.
As always, history will record where people stood during the challenge of a “Joe McCarthy moment.”
Michael D’Innocenzo’s website is: www.michaeldinnocenzo.com
