I titled my last column “Divides” because as I said there: “Divides confront us daily. The digital divide, political divides, economic divides, class divides, educational divides.”
The focus of that piece was the divide between the world of television commercials on the one hand, and the actual world of war, floods and fires and the cost of living, on the other hand.
Richard Conville
It went something like this: The news may report another near miss at an airport or another Russian drone strike in Kiev; or another mass shooting or the soaring price of food, clothing and shelter. Whatever: it’s mostly bad; dark; sad. But the commercials (and you might as well throw in much of social media) are just the opposite. Ads are mostly good, bright, happy. Reality, not as much.
There is a price we pay for this divide, however, and it is too high. Why? Because advertising projects the appearance of normalcy. As if everything is OK.
But not everybody’s happy, and not everything’s OK. Congress is letting President Trump consolidate power so if you want something, you must go to him. Bend the knee; vow loyalty; flatter him. That’s the way of the dictator, tyrant, king or emperor. Not the American way. Not American democracy!
Case in point: The deployment of National Guard personnel in the District of Columbia and the attempted takeover of police operations there. It mirrors the deployment of National Guard members and Marines in Los Angeles back in June. A strong leader does not need to show off his national police force. Only a leader with minority support needs a national police force.
Here are some of the president’s recent polling numbers:
- According to USA Today, Pew Research Center reports that, during the first full week of August, only 38% of the adults polled approved of the president’s job performance and 60% disapproved.
- Gallup’s analysis indicates this is the lowest first July approval rating of any president in the modern era.
- CNBC polling showed a 37% approval rating for the president’s handling of inflation and the cost of living and a 60% disapproval rating. Further, on taxes and federal spending, the president garnered 40% and 38% approval ratings respectively and a 41% approval rating on his conduct of foreign policy.
- The president’s actions on deportations and tariffs garnered approval by 49% and 45%, respectively.
“President Trump is a solidly minority president, so of course, he needs a national police force.”
President Trump is a solidly minority president, so of course, he needs a national police force. A minority ruler requires a police force of National Guard personnel and Marines, because it instills fear in the people, and people who are fearful are easy to rule.
Trump’s world is the world of every dictator, tyrant, king or emperor who ever has lived. Absolute rule is the goal.
You would think that, on this the 250th anniversary of the republic, we would recall those early patriots won a war to free us from the absolute rule of King George III. The Boston Tea Party was, after all, a protest against tariffs!
So, the First Great Divide is between the fantasy world of TV commercials (plus much of social media) and the actual world of war, floods and fires, and the cost of living. Awareness of that divide reminds us that, contrary to appearance, everything is not OK.
The Second Great Divide is between those who support the president’s policies and those who do not. The above polling data show Trump a solidly minority president.
But wait, there’s more: In July, a Quinnipiac Poll indicated 63% of voters disapprove of Trump’s handling of the Jeffrey Epstein files while only 17% approve; 20% reported no opinion. Among Republicans, 40% approved of Thump’s handling of the Epstein case, while 36% disapproved and 24% reported no opinion.
What better way to distract our attention from the Epstein case than to declare a law enforcement emergency in the District of Columbia and send in the National Guard!
What better way to take the Epstein case off the front pages than to gin up Texans’ political testosterone by asking them to “find” him five more Republican House seats!
What better way to distract his deep MAGA base from their obsession with Epstein than hastily arranging a “summit” with Vlademir Putin, invader of Ukraine and war criminal!
There you have it. The Two Great Divides looming over the president: The divide between the fantasy world of advertising/social media and the real world of our actual lives and the policy divides between Trump’s supporters and opponents.
How we navigate these treacherous waters will chart the republic’s future for many years.
Richard Conville is professor emeritus of communication studies at the University of Southern Mississippi and a long-time resident of Hattiesburg, Miss., where he is a member of University Baptist Church.