Opinion editor’s note: Strib Voices publishes a mix of commentary online and in print each day. To contribute, click here.
When Donald Trump won the presidency in 2016, I wrote on the day after that the country had strong institutions and that they would hold.
They did hold, though much the worse for wear. With Trump now winning a new term, I’ll argue — with more hope than confidence — that they’ll hold again. I’ll argue that the hope is necessary for the confidence.
I also wrote on Nov. 9, 2016, that Americans had to be willing to raise their voices. Today, the Minnesota Star Tribune Editorial Board is making a case for unity, and I don’t disagree. We can’t ignore the fact that those who like Trump’s style were more motivated to turn out this year than those who don’t. They’ve not given his political project a mandate, exactly, but they’ve given it both momentum and persistence. That earns consideration and a search for workable compromise. It doesn’t, however, preclude vigilance and robust debate. Nothing ever does.
I’ve spent about 10 years pondering whether Trump is cognitively incapable of holding a nuanced view of policy questions or just disinterested. I conclude that he’s disinterested. I hold out hope that since he’s won the presidency for the final time — if he accepts that — he’ll take the work seriously and will be willing to apply his so-called stable genius. The world really needs that, and less of his so-called weave. Regarding global affairs, it’s too gentle to warn that there are whitewater rapids ahead.
I also have an overarching theory. As such theories tend to be, it’s simplistic, but I think there’s some truth in it.
