NWA Letters to the Editor

Progressives can't grasp voters who picked Trump

The disconnect from coherent, logical thought required to be a progressive/liberal Democrat is on full display in the guest column from George S. Smith in Thursday's edition. He spends the first half of his submission attempting to discredit Fox News and other right-leaning news sources by pointing to opinion hosts like Sean Hannity, Laura Ingraham and Rush Limbaugh. Never mind the leftist blather spouted daily by opinion hosts like Rachel Maddow, Laurence O'Donnell, Don Lemon and "Fredo" Cuomo. Fox News, unlike its more left-leaning counterparts, routinely provides commentary on both sides of any issue being reported (talking about the news programs here). MSNBC, CNN and other main-stream outlets tend to avoid views contrary to their corporate-driven ideology. They are so in lockstep in their messaging that they all use the same focus group-tested words and phrases to keep their mindless viewers up-in-arms emotionally. Intelligent digesters of today's "journalism" need to listen to reporting from multiple outlets, ideally from multiple viewpoints, then make up their own minds. Indoctrinated nitwits, on either side, dismiss any source that doesn't agree with their pre-conceived notion of things. To go so far, as George did, as to call his personally approved world view as "a big, wonderful world of reality" puts on full display his opinion of those of us who disagree with him--we're delusional or worse.

Later, George demonstrates that, like virtually all coastal and media-elite "swells," he has utterly and completely failed to understand why the average Trump voter pulled the lever for him in 2016 and is likely to do so again in 2020. It's far easier and more satisfying for people like George to bolster their own false feelings of moral and intellectual superiority, to view us as a gun-clinging, anti-abortion, poorly educated, irredeemable basket of deplorables. Such is not the case, George.

It is the job of our elected officials and other public servants to put the interests of our nation and its citizens first in all things. That is not isolationism -- it's sane, intelligent self-interest. George even goes so far as to call for a return to "a global framework for the betterment of all people." Globalism, much like the misappropriation of social justice, is a siren call to the all-feel, no-think left. It is absolute lunacy, when put in practice, but it sure makes them feel good about themselves. Globalism is a label used by career politicians in D.C. to justify serving the interests of corporations over those of the rapidly disappearing American middle class. They are not only allowed -- but encouraged -- by our public policies to outsource manufacturing overseas where they can make more money and avoid our more rigorous environmental regulations.

Donald Trump is the first President since World War II to demand that our Western Hemisphere, Asian and European trade partners (and NATO members) treat us more fairly. This is not isolationism, it's sanity. Using our economic might is also preferable to sending our young men and women to die in foreign lands.

Keep America great, George!

Steve Blevins

Fayetteville

Commentary on 10/12/2019

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