Keeping the dialogue going
I appreciate Mrs. Hubbard’s reply to my earlier letter.
I have no problem with the intersection rallies themselves. Of course, citizens are free to gather and hold signs. But honks, waves, and other hand gestures are not dialogue. Dialogue requires listening, questioning and responding in more than a second. That is why the Ledger’s opinion page offers a far stronger forum for genuine civic exchange than quick signals at an intersection. If the rallies do not lead to fuller conversations then what is their purpose?
Donald Trump won the 2024 popular vote with 77,302,580 votes (49.8%), which, as Mrs. Hubbard mentioned, was a plurality. However, plurality victories are not unusual. Bill Clinton won with only 43% in 1992 and 49% in 1996. Plurality victories have always been a normal part of American elections. They do not undermine democracy.
Finally, my banner — “Trump was right about everything” — was never meant literally. The phrase is shorthand — just as “Resist” or “Democracy” signs are shorthand. The real question is whether policies under President Trump are producing results worth defending: stronger borders, lower inflation, energy independence, and fewer foreign entanglements. For me the answer is yes to all, and that’s why I’m on the corner and, more importantly, following up in writing.
We have plenty of time before 2026 or 2028. Let’s hear more actual critical dialogue on policies. That would be a helpful service to democracy and our community.