Leadership’s response in Portland
Let me get this straight.
Saturday night, as Portland experiences BLM protests for approximately the 90th straight day, a city of 650,000 COVID-stressed souls, most of whom have suffered more from the lack of a coordinated national response to the pandemic than from the comparatively rare acts of violence associated with the BLM movement there, got a gift from Donald Trump they never asked for.
No mystery shock troops in blank uniforms this time. No, not that. Instead, introduce pickup trucks loaded with supporters of the President armed with paint ball guns. Which they could not resist using to fire on peaceful protesters. Could we be surprised that at least some protesters chose to resist and that some level of non-peaceful activity might unfold? I hardly think so.
So, our WWF-President has now raised the stakes by sending in the Roller Derby.
Here’s what the embattled mayor of the city said in response: “We need to reset. The president needs to reset. I need to reset. This community needs to reset. And America needs to reset. It’s going to take his leadership in the White House. And it’s going to take my leadership here in City Hall.”
Here’s what the President of the United States in a responding tweet, in response: Mayor Wheeler is “wacky” and a “dummy.”
If you can first put aside your disbelief that these are the words coming out of the mouth of a president in a tense situation of national import, you might then contrast his words with those of the Portland’s mayor. That contrast is stunning. Only one of those two is a serious person, capable of leading anything other than the rest of the country down the plank. I will give you one guess.
Congratulations, President Trump, you are well on your way to becoming the world’s smallest man. Standing 6′ 3″ can’t change that.
The only way we will ever wake up from this nightmare in the White House is to find a comfortable way to vote on Nov. 3rd.
Paul Mack
Columbus
The Dispatch Editorial Board is made up of publisher Peter Imes, columnist Slim Smith, managing editor Zack Plair and senior newsroom staff.
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