The Partisan Deaf in Helsinki

            “A dialog of the deaf” is an apt description of what masquerades as debates between President Trump’s opponents and his supporters. One side wants to drive the president out of office, while the other sees him as doing no wrong.  Neither side wants to give an inch. Why, for instance, can’t Democrats and their mainstream media echoes give Trump credit for the robust economy?  Why can’t his core supporters admit his trade policies are a disaster? Just recently, reactions to Trump’s summit with Putin provided us with more extreme examples of the partisan divide.

            I do not believe that Trump’s unfortunate remarks in Helsinki qualify as craven capitulation to an adversary or collusion with Putin, as some have charged. The president certainly did not merit the hysteria spewing out of the mainstream media, calling the president a dumpy stooge, the greatest threat to our democracy, and a traitor. Do the leftwing crazies actually see nothing wrong with an MSNBC commentator comparing Helsinki to Pearl Harbor and Kristallnacht?

            There was criticism from Republicans, as well, especially from John McCain. In fact, blowback from the right was so swift and severe, it stunned the president enough to force him to correct his “misstatement.” On the other hand, blind supporters like Sean Hannity praised the president, and, as usual, could find nothing to criticize in his management of foreign policy and his diplomatic relations with his enemies or his allies. To them, Helsinki—minus that little press conference blip—was a success in personal diplomacy.

            Let’s face it. The reason we are having yet another example of extreme reactions to Trump is Trump himself and his over-confidence in his ability as a negotiator to brow-beat his allies and butter up his enemies. It didn’t work very well at the G5 or NATO meetings, and it achieved little in Singapore and Helsinki.

            What’s next? An invitation to Putin to come to Washington for Round Two? What we don’t need is more impulsive diplomacy to supply the partisan deaf with more ammunition for their political wars.