Shallow Analysis

How many times have you heard media political analysts and commentators say ‘You can’t simply oppose everything Trump does’?
Analysts who claim that Trump’s critics stand for nothing more than mere personal opposition are engaging in shallow, lazy analysis.

Trump is without a doubt the main issue in the 2026 midterm elections.

‘Trump’ is shorthand for grift, corruption, multiple Constitutional crises, uncouth language, massive damage in international relations, more damage to climate, the undoing of the social safety net, and bizarre narcissism.

After the midterms, Trump’s opposition will have a full time job cleaning up his various messes. Job One will be repairing all of the cracks in our democratic system of government that Trump has exploited.

Before the midterms, the challenge will be for the opposition to break issues down to the level of what is valued and see how those values animate public policy positions.

For example. those opposed to Trump value service and sacrifice in defending our country, therefore they value the well being of our military veterans.

Because they value our veterans, they support public policy that provides a VA to offer needed services to our vets. Not only must the VA be properly funded and staffed, it needs to offer even more assistance to our deserving vets.

What does Trump value regarding service to our country and how do his values affect his administration’s veteran policies?

• We know about his Vietnam era bone spurs claim.
• We know about his disrespect for former prisoner of war John McCain.
• We know about his documented disrespect for veterans as ‘suckers and losers’.

How does Trump’s anti- veteran values animate his public policy towards the VA? He has reveled in his administration taking a chainsaw to the VA.

As another example, we can analyze both the Democrat and Trump views on issues of importance to women.

Democrats value equality for women and therefore have endorsed policies that promote equal pay for the same work done by men, choice regarding women’s healthcare, and protection from gender based violence.

Here are just a few of Trump’s comments about women:

• “horse face”
• “nasty”
• “sick”
• “She’s a whack job”
• “You know, I’m automatically attracted to beautiful — I just start kissing them. It’s like a magnet. Just kiss. I don’t even wait. And when you’re a star, they let you do it. You can do anything. Grab ’em by the pussy. You can do anything.”

Trump’s misogyny animates his destruction of Democratic policies empowering women’s rights including women’s health care.

We can continue to go issue by issue.

Trump values the belligerent exercise of military power in pursuing a reckless war in Iran while Democrats have valued peace through diplomacy.

Democrats, for their part, need to do a better job of framing their opposition. Democrats must emphasize values shared by the majority of the American people in their opposition to Trumps destructive policies.

So many news outlets do not offer in depth political analysis, instead providing political entertainment that reinforces the viewer’s beliefs through emotional triggers, regardless of the truth. News outlets can help set the public conversation when they make choices as to what to cover … or not cover. Today on those occasions when CNN commentators complain about Trump it’s like Dr. Frankenstein complaining that there’s a monster terrorizing the countryside. Who do you think helped to create the monster. Media coverage and commentary that claim Democrats are merely opposed to Trump on a personal level is shallow and lazy. Unfortunately that shallow and lazy analysis may frame the political discussion going forward. We deserve better from both the media and Democrats.

Thanks and a tip of the hat to DonkeyHotey@flickr for the image.