Which way is the wind blowing where you live?

The overall mood is that Trump has gone past his sell-by date and the country wants to get rid of him. I'm curious as to what extent--if at all--you're seeing and hearing that where you live.

In Portland, I'm hearing from a lot of folks who were formerly passive and silent. The recent ICE invasions coupled with the upward spike in cost of living really set people off, and the Turd War is adding to that. In short, people are angry. Will thst matter from an electoral standpoint? No. Portland is already blue as can be.

But the seismic shift I'm seeing and hearing is in the MAGA portions of our state: a) coastal Oregon, full of nasty retired old fucks: b) eastern Oregon, the part that Idaho wants to annex; c) southern Oregon aka "Jefferson." Those areas were ruby-red Trump Land. Now, not so much. No TRUMP signs anywhere and timid criticism of the Turd in local media. Local politics featuring actual contests, not just the anointing of Sheriff Bucktooth, The Guy Who Shoots Mexicans.

It seems that the core issue is, as it has been so many times before, whether people's rice bowls are full or empty. Our MAGA counties are fairly poor. The Turd economic disaster is affecting them disproportionately. And the drop in government services from the depredations of Elon and Big Balls is causing an outcry.

What about in your neck of the woods?

I live in MAGA land and what I notice is people don't bring up Trump at the local watering holes anymore. And most of the MAGAs are no longer running around thumping their chests about how proud they are to be a MAGA. It's like they no longer want people to know they are MAGAs.

As most of you have read from me, I 'listen' to the learned folks who publish OP EDs and opinion pieces in our newspaper, from both sides of the aisle.   Of course OP EDs are opinions too, just more representative of the paper in form and avoidance of what would be blatantly insulting.  They are Journalists by profession, not politicians nor are they usually the wealthiest, nor are they, as Kevin would characterize them, shitkickers.  Opinion piecres are from educators, science, business, many sectors heard from.

And then there are the "Letters to the Editor" from ordinary folks like me.  About 3-5 of these published a day.  The newpaper says they get dozens, and attempt to publish a "mix" of those in regard to sides of the aisle.  There are criteria for acceptance of letters.  I doubt any containing profanity, name calling a la Kitchen Sink, etc. are accepted.

OK here it comes:

I perceive the "learned" pieces to be increasingly disconcerted, upset, regarding Trump and his actions.  They don't rant and rave in idiotic manner, but very keenly state their points.  Sometimes lately almost humorous in what they see happening from Trump.  What was promised vs what is happening; what science says and what is coming from Trump.  What they had to say about Musk and his DOGE, whewee!

The Letters to the Editor, about the same.  Some very very disconcerted, some fearful, some disgusted.  Some say "told ya so."  Some say "just wait, you'll see the good"  etc. etc.  Very mixed.

Candy

Candy, unfortunately, what you do see in the Letters to the Editor section is a function of what kind of letters and what PoVs the editorial staff wants to include. So you can't tell from what they select to publish what the overall sentiment is.

A great example of this is the Las Vegas Review Journal and the Las Vegas Sun. The former is owned by a MAGA rich dude who has been a rabid Trump cheerleader from the get-go; the latter was slightly left-wing before it got eaten by the LVRJ. What's interesting is that the Sun exists, in abbreviated form, inside the LVRJ. It's a section of its own, its own front page, editorial section, even comics page.

The LVRJ is crazy-MAGA. Its editorial page often has fulsome praises of Dear Leader Trump as well as a regular column by a nutjob who has actually said he believes in Nazi ideology (some of the things he says are truly horrible). The Sun isn't as far-left as the LVRJ is far-right, but the headlines about the same exact events are amusingly dissonant. Talk about divergent points of view!

Anyway, my point is, each paper chooses about a half dozen Letters to print every day, and each publishes five or six that align with its ideology and one that doesn't, presumably for "balance." The LVRJ, though, makes sure that its "token liberal" letter sounds like it was written by a nutcase extraordinaire.

So what you see isn't representative of the general mood of the people at all. I suspect that the current LVRJ editorial pages contain six Letters a day praising Noble Glorious Dear Leader Trump and his righteous crusade against the evil Iranians, along with statements that high gas prices are just a liberal hoax.

Well, Kevin, you asked, and I answered.  I tried to describe my process, which nobody reading it should knee-jerk disagree without having read 'my' newspaper for as long as I have.  And I am sorry, but it DOES reflect the way the wind blows as well as anything else, e.g. rallys, protests, town halls, communication with senators and representatives.  I know nothing about the LVRJ, but appreciate your perspective on that newspaper.   

I'll agree it does take discernment to filter through all of it.  Actually I doubt MAGAs bother to read credible news sites or watch credible reporting on TV. 

As I said...you asked and I answered, not expecting anyone to agree or disagree.   I didn't think you meant to start a KS-type debate.  I thought you truly wanted to know how the 'wind blew' in the states where LVA readers hail from, based on the title of this thread. 

Candy 

Candy, I was simply remarking that the local paper usually isn't a good barometer, because they print not the news, but what they think their readers want. I would therefore like to know what you're hearing on the local coffee shop and the supermarket line (leave out the cursing), etc.

In our area the war in iran is the only thing that is a knock on the President.  If it doesn't end well he will fall out of favor as things are pretty quite right now. All the other issues are really mute.

I dont have a local coffee shop or supermarket line in which I would get into such a discussion.  Sorry.  

And our paper is fat with news national, statewide, local news, and sports, style, gardening, cooking, local arts and entertainment.  Then there is the section called Perspective, with the OP ED pages, whole articles on this and that other than local and national news, and more.  Pretty good paper.

Candy