Publisher's notebook
Did Trump turn the corner?
Many people were watching Tuesday night when President Donald Trump made his first speech to a joint session of Congress. It is basically the State Of The Union speech for first-year presidents.
Our weekly online poll at all nine of our local thepostnewspapers.com websites this week asks the question Do you have more or less faith in President Trump following his Feb. 28 speech to Congress? You have until Tuesday to get your vote in.
I already voted, selecting “I have more faith; it sounds like his priorities are in the right place.” I did so because I thought it was his best speech ever. By far.
Of course, that isn’t saying much. The bar was set low. I have never been too impressed with his speech making abilities. He is certainly no Barack Obama or Bill Clinton in his ability to communicate.
Let’s not even talk about Twitter. Don’t get me started. In the long run, however, a president is judged by what he accomplishes — not how he talks.
To me, this speech could very well mark the turning point for the new administration. In my opinion, Trump needed a home run desperately and he got one. For the first time since he was elected, he came across as The President. Love him or hate him, agree or disagree with his views. I think he finally made it clear that he is in charge and is asking that the whole country accept the fact and work with him to advance America’s interests.
That his what he badly needed to do and I think he delivered.
Our country is so deeply divided. It sickens me and a lot of America, especially us old timers I think. We just grew up in a different era I guess. Whether all the king’s horses and all the king’s men can ever put Humpty together again ... well, we can only pray.
Your other options in this week’s poll are “I don’t feel any different about him than I did before” and “I have less faith; he doesn’t know the consequences of his intentions.”
I told you my opinion, now tell me yours. Vote in our online poll. While there we always welcome your comments and it is easier than writing an official “letter to the editor.” Of course, we welcome them too!
Last week’s poll asked about President Trump’s tweet that some mainstream media is “the enemy of the American people?”
The majority of you (55.5 percent) feel that most of the “mainstream” media either abandoned objective journalism long ago (44.5 percent) or at the very least has a biased agenda (9.3 percent). The other 46.2 percent of our readers believe that Trump just doesn’t seem to understand the role of a free press in America.
To me, it is indeed hard to argue that the mainstream media treatment of Donald Trump is not biased and over the top. They would answer that it is their duty to destroy him because he is a madman, a racist, a Hitler ... or worse.
History will be the judge. But I agree with the majority you that such treatment is not the proper role for a true journalist. It is seek to provide the truth and let your readers decide. There is a huge difference between opinion columns and news reporting. When so-called “journalists” forget where one ends and the other begins, it besmirches the reputation of all media. This is evidenced in our poll.
Setting the bar so low on Trump actually made it easier for him Tuesday night. It was not hard to exceed the terrible expectations that his foes in Hollywood, the media and Congress set for him. All he had to do was act just a little presidential and it made his enemies look petty. That is the advantage that all presidents have. Trump finally seemed to figure out how to use it.
Our weekly online poll at all nine of our local thepostnewspapers.com websites this week asks the question Do you have more or less faith in President Trump following his Feb. 28 speech to Congress? You have until Tuesday to get your vote in.
I already voted, selecting “I have more faith; it sounds like his priorities are in the right place.” I did so because I thought it was his best speech ever. By far.
Of course, that isn’t saying much. The bar was set low. I have never been too impressed with his speech making abilities. He is certainly no Barack Obama or Bill Clinton in his ability to communicate.
Let’s not even talk about Twitter. Don’t get me started. In the long run, however, a president is judged by what he accomplishes — not how he talks.
To me, this speech could very well mark the turning point for the new administration. In my opinion, Trump needed a home run desperately and he got one. For the first time since he was elected, he came across as The President. Love him or hate him, agree or disagree with his views. I think he finally made it clear that he is in charge and is asking that the whole country accept the fact and work with him to advance America’s interests.
That his what he badly needed to do and I think he delivered.
Our country is so deeply divided. It sickens me and a lot of America, especially us old timers I think. We just grew up in a different era I guess. Whether all the king’s horses and all the king’s men can ever put Humpty together again ... well, we can only pray.
Your other options in this week’s poll are “I don’t feel any different about him than I did before” and “I have less faith; he doesn’t know the consequences of his intentions.”
I told you my opinion, now tell me yours. Vote in our online poll. While there we always welcome your comments and it is easier than writing an official “letter to the editor.” Of course, we welcome them too!
Last week’s poll asked about President Trump’s tweet that some mainstream media is “the enemy of the American people?”
The majority of you (55.5 percent) feel that most of the “mainstream” media either abandoned objective journalism long ago (44.5 percent) or at the very least has a biased agenda (9.3 percent). The other 46.2 percent of our readers believe that Trump just doesn’t seem to understand the role of a free press in America.
To me, it is indeed hard to argue that the mainstream media treatment of Donald Trump is not biased and over the top. They would answer that it is their duty to destroy him because he is a madman, a racist, a Hitler ... or worse.
History will be the judge. But I agree with the majority you that such treatment is not the proper role for a true journalist. It is seek to provide the truth and let your readers decide. There is a huge difference between opinion columns and news reporting. When so-called “journalists” forget where one ends and the other begins, it besmirches the reputation of all media. This is evidenced in our poll.
Setting the bar so low on Trump actually made it easier for him Tuesday night. It was not hard to exceed the terrible expectations that his foes in Hollywood, the media and Congress set for him. All he had to do was act just a little presidential and it made his enemies look petty. That is the advantage that all presidents have. Trump finally seemed to figure out how to use it.