Hate is one of those words. A word that once you have said it your impulse is to amend it. Maybe, “well I don’t like it” or “on a scale of one to ten………..” Or, maybe you reflect and quietly edit your thoughts. And then words.
Historically, to make this easy, most of us have “hated” Hitler. In politics there are certainly extremes that deserve the harshest characterizations. But then the next object or subject of hate seems, well, not to be so hateful. If Hitler deserves hate, what does Taylor Swift deserve?
Recall, Trump on his social media site, Truth Social, said he hates Taylor Swift. Well to begin with it was a lousy political move, but then that is what many of his supporters like. He, the anti-politician, doesn’t back down. He doesn’t weigh consequences. He says what he means in the moment; hate is not simply a figure of speech. He is more like us. Hoorah!
But then he is not us. He has a giant mega-phone domestically and internationally and has decided to load it with explosives. Yet, he often runs for Miss Congeniality among our enemies. Trump and his sidekick, JD Vance, are engaged in a noxious version of verbal jujitsu. Although, in its simplest form, it is understandable. And the only reason it can be hard to understand is that typically “divide and conquer” is not the guiding strategy of a winning model.
It has been noted in past responses to my columns that “no, I don’t like Trump, but I like his policies.” Trump has one policy—winning. He is now, for example, making sure he is not outbid in promises to exempt certain labor income from taxation. One might ask whether a person who cares for the disabled should pay a higher tax on their income than someone who earns overtime pay? Trump has called for exempting tip and overtime income from taxation.
The question is where does this verbal jujitsu lead when it becomes THE policy. I can’t imagine a strategy of divide and conquer leading to a successful conclusion for the country. And I can’t imagine this strategy not leading to a Presidential Executive Order administration and the paralyzing litigation that is certain to follow.
The only successful approach to executive leadership in a democracy is to win over a majority that will support you and the Members of Congress you will need to both enact and then protect your policy priorities.
Donald Trump’s approach goes out of the way to win an electoral college vote, knowing that winning a majority of voters is not possible. Recall. He didn’t reach out to the opponents in the Republican Presidential Primaries who won a sizable number of votes. He regularly refers to all Republicans who do not not knell as “RINOS”. And he decided to take on the most popular celebrity, Taylor Swift. His valentine: “I hate Taylor Swift.” And to put a cherry on top of this licorice sundae, he choose JD Vance to be his running mate. Vance specializes in demonization with a snarl.
And again to those who say they “like his policies” he has shrunk the Republican Party including subtracting many of those who served in his Administration while abandoning the principles of cerebral and heroic conservatives alike. What would Edmund Burke call Trump’s concoction? What about Bill Buckley? Or Ronald Reagan?
As I close, let me return to the word “hate”. Hate can be understandable—we all have that emotion on occasion. While I don’t often use the word, if there was binary choice I hate, don’t love, licorice. But if it is understandable as our emotions scan various objects and subjects, if our only choices are to love or hate when it becomes a word defining our attempts at self-governance, it is destructive. It is self-defeating and more. In short, if America thrives when embracing our motto: “Out of Many One”, it deteriorates when our voting privilege is animated by hate. If voting is an investment do not put your hopes in hate.
My vote this year will be for Kamala Harris. And, Larry Hogan, who I believe represents the higher principles of true conservatism.
Al Sikes is the former Chair of the Federal Communications Commission under George H.W. Bush. Al writes on themes from his book, Culture Leads Leaders Follow published by Koehler Books.
Mickey Terrone says
Hi Al. If it was just Al Sikes who elected POTUS and one senator from Maryland, I might be able to hold my nose and not become ill at the thought of Hogan. But I can’t and you yourself don’t make the call. Thus, I believe Hogan would remain a major thorn in the side of a President Harris, serving as he has throughout his career, for example, as an opponent of a woman’s right to choose.
Beyond that, “hate” is something that we agree Trump troublingly uses to rev up the Republican ‘base” and divide Americans. More troubling, however, is that so many Americans are moved by his “hatred” and embrace it to support him and vote for him to be POTUS, even after January 6th and his litany of convictions, horrendous statements and never ending mountain of lies. Your old Republican Party has been hijacked but the membership has allowed itself to be hijacked voluntarily by rationalizing Trump, as you suggested, because they like his policies.
They like his policies? They don’t want Social Security anymore? Don’t many, if not most of the older, poor, bypassed whites desperately need Social Security checks? Don’t they need affordable health care insurance and affordable health care? Why in hell do these people support those catastrophic Trump policies? They don’t support NATO or Ukraine’s brave struggle to save their democracy anymore? Why do they support his attempt to overthrow the free and fair election of 2020 and his threat for a reprise if he doesn’t win in 2024? Many seem to believe him when he claims he was sent by God to save America. How does a patriotic American support such treasonous actions against our honored Constitutions and traditions?
Hasn’t the Republican Party has become a shell of its former edifice? Groveling Republican congressmen, senators and governors who Trump has demeaned and insulted continue as veritable jellyfish with no personal character. Hasn’t Trump dragged that entire edifice down to become his own personal mob, allowing itself to advocate for Trump’s many “hatreds”? Trump’s rhetoric has become wildly hateful recently after being kindly humiliated by Harris in the recent debate. Yet I have not heard or read one sentence from any Republican condemning Trump’s madness or warning against his predictable and planned effort to block the electoral process in some key states if and when he loses. Trump has dragged his Republican Party supporters down from the status of “supporters” and “voters” to the status of his “accomplices” to his crime(s) of overturning US elections based solely upon his claims of victimization by election fraud – with no evidence of course. Republicans knew this scheme but nominated him anyway.
You wrote that “Trump has one policy – winning”. No sir, Al. America loses with Trump – at every level. We all become the country of “hatred” if he wins. Its almost impossible for me to accept that so many Americans would support or abet this kind of horrendous behavior and rhetoric and voluntarily put him in control of our government so he can dismantle it and drag us all down under his control. God forbid!
Brian Schmidtt says
A vote for Hogan is a vote for Trump.
He should have followed Liz Chaney, Adam Kinzinger and said No to the Terrible trump Rhetoric of Lies!
He appears to have sold himself as did must of the old time Elephants. Submissive and not truly standing up against the maga hate and allowing the party to be of a lower level.
Birds of a Feather Flock together!
Good thing Maryland has been Blue since 1992.
* HARRIS/ WALZ 2024 *
Make Lying Wrong Again
Mickey Terrone says
Hello again, Al. I just ran across this “Letter to the Editor” I wrote to our local newspaper in June, 2017. If we aren’t successful electing Kamala Harris in November, I think America is headed from the frying pan to the fire.
Dear Editors: I read your June 27, 2017 editorial with surprise. As a voter who is deeply concerned for all of my family, friends and neighbors locally and nationwide because of President Trump’s bizarre and erratic behavior, I take issue with your suggestion that Democrats are consumed with personal hatred for the man.
As a native New Yorker, but a Marylander for the past 25 years, I have known the Trump name since childhood from his dad’s “Trump Village” signs along the Belt Parkway in Brooklyn. I’ve observed and heard Trump’s lewd and egomaniacal extramarital bragging on NY radio and have known him to be a flamboyant, overaggressive playboy-entrepreneur with a huuuuge ego. He demands loyalty from the people around him but is contemptuously disloyal to spouses, employees, subcontractors and anyone else who criticizes him. He has always seemed to be an utterly spiteful person.
In many ways, he is a pathetic human being. As CEO of the Trump Organization he could only harm the people who associated with him. As POTUS, he is harming millions of Americans, harming the reputation and prestige of our country and is using his handful of ultra-wealthy cronies to swindle the vast majority of Americans out of our security and health while handing the wealthiest 1% (of which he is ranked) massive, unnecessary tax cuts and political leverage.
He can’t accomplish this alone, and his Republican political benefactors and Republican congressional accomplices are fully aiding and abetting these atrocities against the American people (including 98% of Republicans). In short, it isn’t worth the effort to hate Trump personally. It is crucial, however, to articulate outrage against these charlatans of our Republican Democracy in no uncertain terms. Trump followers claimed to adore his politically incorrect “candor”. But neither they nor Trump seem to be able to take candid speech back in their faces when confronted by the daily parade of official White House prevaricators.
The list of Trump’s daily lies as printed in this past Sunday’s NY Times should horrify all of us – not to hate Trump personally – but to resist his clear contempt for average Americans. His personal and business history is a litany of contemptuous behavior. Trump’s contempt for his two former wives, his subcontractors, his Republican Presidential Primary opponents like “Lyin’ Ted, Little Marco, Jeb Bush, Rick Perry, Carly Fiorina, Crooked Hillary, the generals, the US Intelligence community, NATO, the UN and especially, you in the press is unmistakable. This is contempt for anyone who questions or disagrees with him whenever they do so.
Presuming that Democrats are personally “consumed” with hate Trump is a fundamental mistake. You should understand that Democrats are fighting for our own future and for the futures of Republicans whom, frankly, seem unaware of the danger to themselves, their families, friends and fellow Americans. Apparently, either the little light hasn’t gone on in their heads yet, or they don’t grasp the socioeconomic danger we all are in with this lunatic fringe alt-right gang in charge in the White House.
The majority of Americans who voted against Trump did not think the Democratic Party was uninterested in our well-being. Many gullible Americans were naïve enough to believe Trump’s manipulative BS about making health care cheaper and better. They didn’t ask how. Trump had no clue.
Many gullible Americans believe Trump’s empty promises about putting coal miners back to work and saving all those jobs at Carrier and Ford, etc. Well, Ford is moving a big factory to China and Carrier has laid off a large number of employees anyway. And not only are most coal miners still not working in the mines, but they are about to lose their health insurance and eventually Medicaid. This is catastrophic, especially for rural Americans nationwide. And we should be aware that the Eastern Shore of Maryland is a rural area, especially here in Talbot County.
There isn’t time to hate Trump personally. But as Americans, we need to protect our own socioeconomic interests. Whiteness won’t help Republican voters when the insurance companies send them their cancellation notices. Donald Trump will simply laugh with another celebration in the Rose Garden out of contempt for the little people who comprise 99% of America. Then his conservative Supreme Court will simply vote in favor of big business, religious bigotry and white supremacy. I suppose that is a factor in the Republican support for Trump.
If those of you in the press aren’t careful, your “failing” enterprises will get railroaded out of existence by Trumpism, too. Do you hate him personally? No, but if you don’t fight him and his alt-right extremist accomplices tooth and nail now, it may be too late a year or two from now. Resist. If you believe you are not enemies of the people, resist.
Reed Fawell 3 says
Wisdom, courage, and high intelligence always lives and thrives in abundance on writer’s side of the street, giving him or her a remarkably clear, vivid, and insightful view and understanding of all the evil, ignorance, and mendacity that always lives and thrives in abundance on the other (and other’s) side of the street. Here, in this distorted world projection rules.
Anne C Stalfort says
Voting for Larry Hogan keeps Mitch McConnell in charge. Gives us more right wing Supreme Court justices. Continues to keep the government in charge of women’s health care. Makes it harder to continue addressing the affects of climate change. Will stall the economic progress we’ve made. My vote will be for Harris Walz and Alsobrooks.
Alex says
[scratching head] Why isn’t calling people names like “racist,” “sexist,” “homophobe,” etc., or for that matter “hater,” why isn’t that hatred? People who identify as “liberal” seem to have a terrifyingly scant amount of self-awareness.
Michael Davis says
Alex, “racist,” sexist,” and :”homophobe.” are descriptions. They are not hate words. Indeed, many racists are proud of being racists. Trump associates with Holocaust Deniers who are proud of what they do. The “Proud Boys,” are proud of their hated. How would you describe a man who makes up stories about Black people eating people’s pets? Who calls all African nations “Sh*holes,”?
Republicans such as Andy Harris say Trump supports their values. Which values are those? Those of a racist and a liar? A man who cheats on his wives?
James Wilson says
Me thinks you misquoted trump. He actually texted “I HATE TAYLOR SWIFT.” This may mean a bigger hate since he used all caps. Or is he just shouting it? So sad.
Ialso admire Hogan but I cannot vote for him because of the fear of a republican dominated Senate.
john fischer says
Over the past several weeks, Mr. Sikes, you have made a case with which I agree. Compared to Mr. Trump, Ms. Harris is by far the superior human being.
Nevertheless, many Americans will hesitate to mark their ballot for a committed member of the far left wing of a political party hostile to law enforcement, freedom of expression, female athletes, rural citizens and communities, enforcement of immigration laws, school choice, religious belief of any design, parental control of children, white men, the Jewish race and our armed forces.
Under normal circumstances a candidate with this baggage would have no chance of winning a national election. However, Ms. Harris is not running against a normal candidate but, rather, against a man personably objectionable to most of us. Thus, many citizens will vote for her because she appears to be the best of two bad choices.
Whichever presidential candidate citizens favor with their vote, we should pray they vote for House and Senate candidates of the opposing party in order those bodies might moderate the plans and policies of the dangerous man or woman we will have elected.
Paul Rybon says
I think Mr. Fischer is on to something. We need to hold our noses at the Trump unpleasantness,get over the Trump Hatred Syndrome, and begin paying attention to the issues. Unless, of course, they have enjoyed the disaster that has been the Biden legacy. Even the Press has begun to call out the flip-flops and Word Salads of the Harris campaign. Donald Trump is not lying. It’s just that a whole lot of people can’t stand the brutal truth. Hey, I too prefer Brittany to Taylor. Hope this gets printed
Mickey Terrone says
Mr. Fischer, I think you got your political parties’ extremists bassackwards. The Republicans are hostile to law enforcement. Did you miss the January 6th attack on the police defending our nation’s capitol? Have you forgotten how Trump and his Republican minions call their thugs “political prisoners” after being convicted (many pleading guilty)? It wasthe Republican “base” vs the Capitol’s entire law enforcement cadre!
Too bad I have to remind you that it was Trump who nixed a strong bipartisan immigration bill that would have been in force for nearly a year by now. I also have to remind you apparently that Trump’s harebrained commentary about having built hundreds of miles of his “beautiful” wall to be paid for by Mexico are two complete failures of his own making. His zombies still can’t seem to understand those realities and the childishly stupid concept that building a wall is going to stop illegals or stop the trafficking of drugs and human beings over our border. Worse yet, you Republicans can’t seem to understand that illegal immigration is currently way down to its lowest levels in years under Joe Biden. Y’all also seem to experience selective amnesiaif forgetting that as president, Trump got nothing significant done on immigration.
If you think Republicans support “religious belief of any design”, you’re not being fully honest. Republicans, and ironically, Trump himself, strongly supports the evangelical Christian campaign to establish America as a “Christian country” in complete denial of our US Constitution and the writings of virtually all of our founding fathers. Have you forgotten about Trump’s “Muslim Ban”?
The issue of “school choice” is not a Republican issue. Their issue if killing the US Department of Education and the public schools system in order to re-segregate education in this country. The problem is that so much of the white Republican “base” is unable to pay for private school tuition for their children.
As far as “rural citizens and communities”, Republicans led by Trump are those people’s worst enemies. Republicans seek to kill Social Security, affordable health insurance, Medicare and other programs that especially help rural communities. It seems to me you are passing bad misinformation trying to blindly defend the gross actions of Trump and your party.
This is what happens when a party abandons programs that promote the needs of the vast majority of middle and lower classes to hand billionaires massive tax benefits and then try to obfuscate the painful impacts on average Republicans themselves, not to mention the massive increases in the national debt.
Kamala Harris is a moderate with a very strong background in criminal prosection as Attorney General of California. Trump’s insanely radical efforts to undermine the US Constitution with his violent January 6th mob, not to mention his statements about being “dictator for a day” are irrefutable examples of his lawlessness and that of his accomplices. You think that isn’t radical? I believe you people are reduced to writing any junk that comes to mind to reassurre your underinformed fellows of the Republican “base” that they’re OK voting for a fanatical authoritarian against their own best interests.
Too bad y’all are trying so hard to defend Trump’s fanatacism and having to deceive your own Republican “base”.