OPINION:
Most Americans will come to realize that after they boldly elected African-American President Obama (twice), he did virtually nothing to improve race relations or the lives of most African-Americans. Rather, we will come to accept that President Trump did more for Black Americans — with a soaring (pre-COVID-19) economy, very low unemployment rates, an increase in real household income, an improvement in rates of homeownership and assistance to opportunity zones and historically Black colleges. This despite the media’s unsubstantiated accusations of racism, constant criticism and refusal to report the president’s accomplishments.
We will also come to realize that the most severe impact on the American body politic is that the same press went all in to excoriate Mr. Trump and embrace the Democratic presidential candidate, even going as far as to ignore serious allegations of corruption by the latter. Much as with the 2007-09 recession, the devastating loss of the objective press has been underestimated and will hinder political discourse for decades.
This enthusiasm for a “global village” wasn’t experienced by those in the middle and working classes, who for years experienced shrinking economic opportunity, job losses and an assault on their traditional values. This large swath of America found in Donald Trump a spokesman for the frustrations they long felt as the elites moved forward with policies antagonistic to their needs and interests.
Mr. Trump’s popularity can be viewed not as a sign of cultural and political decadence, but as an attempt to democratically shift the priorities away from those formulated by cultural and political leaders long out of touch with many of their fellow citizens. They claim to be shepherding their constituents into the future, but it is a future of the elites’ making.
BRIAN J. GOLDENFELD
Oak Park, Calif.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.