Placing hopes on rising generations, not Trump supporters

Following the election of 2016, I joined many Democrats in reflecting on our party’s loss of white working class, especially younger male, voters and middle class suburban voters.

We recognized that the term, deplorables, had been insulting and insensitive. We thought that Obamacare would inaugurate a commitment to affordable health care for all, despite massive Republican obstruction and negative propaganda. To date, the Republican Party has shown no inclination to support affordable universal health insurance.

While we did our soul-searching, a substantial

“base” rallied around Donald Trump mostly on the basis of bitter resentment toward a so-called liberal establishment. Trump became president under the terms set forth in the Constitution of winning a majority of the electoral vote, despite the winning of a majority of the popular vote by Hillary Clinton.

One might have expected Trump to reach out as President Barack Obama did in acknowledgment that millions had cast their votes against him expressing the desire to be president of all the people. That is not Donald Trump’s way nor that of his base, a member of which I assume letter writer Richard Zeitler is. The Trump mode is never compromise, never apologize, in the face of criticism double down on one’s own position, attack the opposition, name-call, distort their positions. To do otherwise is weakness.

I have given up with the diehard Trump base. I place my hopes on the rising generations, upon women, upon educated suburbanites who know what they are seeing.

Daniel C. Hudson Ridgefield