Five Explanations of What’s Happening in America Right Now
I can’t tell you how many conversations I’ve had with people outside of the United States in recent weeks and months who simply can’t comprehend what on earth is happening over on this side of the ocean. And even in our own country, it’s easy to get swallowed up in soundbyte coverage.
Trump has gotten a lot of earned media for spouting nonsense, and the coverage that has done justice to the phenomenon underlying the situation hasn’t gotten nearly enough press. I’m writing this summary of what I believe to be the best coverage of the past year, because I think all of it bears reading (again), and in sequence.
The Fearful and the Frustrated, Evan Osnos, The New Yorker
More than a year ago, in August 2015, Evan Osnos wrote a deeply insightful and provocative piece focused on the white supremacy support for Trump. The Fearful and the Frustrated is a riveting read, and shows that even in the very early days of Trump’s campaign, certain people were very supportive of the racism behind it.
Who Are All These Trump Supporters? George Saunders, The New Yorker
George Saunders traveled across the United States attending Trump rallies, talking to everyday people both protesting Trump and supporting him. His piece, Who Are All These Trump Supporters? is an fascinating, if sometimes meandering, read. He helps the reader understand the difference between the human and the mob, even when the two are one in the same, and he provides a riveting portrait of Rightland and Leftland, two segments of America that are reaching a pivotal point of confrontation.
Donald Trump’s Ghostwriter Tells All, Jane Mayer, The New Yorker
(I swear I read things other than the New Yorker… sometimes).
In my view, Tony Schwartz is a bit of an anti-Christ in the whole Trump debacle. Also wittily called Trump’s Boswell Tells All, the piece provides important insight into Trump’s character and convictions. A struggling reporter, Schwartz agreed to ghostwrite The Art of the Deal because, he thought, financial security was more important than journalistic ethics. Turns out he was wrong, and he knows it. To unburden himself of his sins, his confession to Ms. Mayer provides a disturbingly accurate portrait of who Donald is as a man, and (spoiler!) how conniving and underhanded he is in business.
Five Reasons Why Donald Trump Will Win, Michael Moore
Michael Moore has a special place in the American canon. I don’t always agree with him, but he’s often right. Yes, Hillary Clinton is leading in the polls, and justifiably so. But Moore provides a compelling picture of why anyone who doesn’t want Donald Trump to get elected this November needs to stay vigilant, and ensure everyone they know is voting on or before November 8.
Five Thirty Eight 2016 Election Forecast
Sometimes poll data can be a dangerous thing, as it can leave us with a feeling of undeserved confidence (witness: Bernie Sanders v. Hillary Clinton in Michigan!). But America is a large place — more than 330 million strong, in fact. And each of the 50 states in the union has a strong sense of identity and place, and a different culture of politics. Political polls are basically the only way to gauge what’s happening where, and which battleground are heating up or cooling down, so that those who wish to can determine exactly how to help.
Nate Silver’s blog, FiveThirtyEight, which began oh-so-many years ago, should be a mainstay for anyone who wants a view of the unvarnished view of what’s happening in this election, not filtered through the lens of some journalist/news agency/blogger or other. His visualization of the electoral college is unparalleled, and his winding path to 270 electoral college votes (pictured) is what compelled me to move to Florida for three months to work on the campaign. (In case you’re wondering, he says it’s North Carolina, Iowa, Ohio, Florida, Nevada, and Pennsylvania that would have to go red to get Trump across the line).
What are you reading about this election that provides context and nuance? Feel free to share in the comments.
