Opinion

In response to Art Cullen’s editorial on Nov. 25th, I agree that the Democrats did not spend a lot of time or money campaigning in Iowa and that this was likely at least a factor in their loss in the state of Iowa. But as I see it, the major difference was that the Democrats appealed to facts and truth, (with some stretching of the truth). The Republicans appealed to emotion and emotion trumps facts every time.

Donald Trump won the Presidency for many reasons.  One is the repudiation of  President Obama, who took the country on a European-Socialist, crony capitalism, redistribution, and  over-regulation journey that many people rejected. Secondly was the failure of Obama Care for many people, or at least those without generous subsidies; with rising premiums, deductibles and fewer choices. Two thousand pages and 22,000 pages of regulations.

Prolonged slow growth and job creation, and perceived unfair trade agreements certainly played a role.

BY ART CULLEN

STRAY THOUGHTS

BY RANDY EVANS

There’s something Democrats, Republicans and independents can all agree on now that the election is over: The campaign ads have ended!

We can sit in front of our televisions now without the fear of being bombarded by ads talking about despicable or deplorable people, crooks or liars. All we have to cope with now are those ads for Viagra, farm weed killers, and Flo, the insurance lady.

By GARRISON KEILLOR

So we have split up. Democrats and Republicans. Mutual loathing. So Thanksgiving is ruined, maybe Christmas. We Hillarians look at strangers in the airport and think, “You did, didn’t you. Yes, you did.” And they know who we are. If I were drowning and calling for help, they would throw me a large rock. If they were drowning, I’d toss them an anvil. Scripture says to love your enemy but it doesn’t say exactly when or how.

By DANA MILBANK

It was a pathetic spectacle: TV news executives and anchors filing in to Trump Tower on Monday to be the president-elect’s whipping boys.

Donald Trump had summoned them for a talk, but it turned out to be part tongue-lashing, part perp walk. The TV news people had foolishly agreed that the session was “off the record,” leaving Trump and his aides free to characterize the media representatives as groveling while Trump berated them as liars.

“Trump Eats Press,” announced pro-Trump Breitbart News.

BY ART CULLEN

Storm Lake Public Safety Director Mark Prosser shows courage, compassion and pragmatism by helping lead a national effort for comprehensive immigration reform. We admire him and are proud that the city council gives the chief enough space to do what’s right for America, for Storm Lake and for immigrants caught in a legal limbo.

EDITOR'S NOTEBOOK

BY ART CULLEN

“I want to debate somebody,” the man on the phone told our receptionist.

She transferred the call to me.

“Sorry, I’m on deadline and don’t have much time to debate right now, but how can I help you otherwise?” I asked in polite a tone as I can on deadline.

“Liberals suck,” he said.

“You suck,” he repeated, just to let me know I’m a liberal.

Got the point, onto the letter writer. She hates me.

By GRAHAM GILLETTE 

Chair of the board of Des Moines Water Works

Sometimes I don’t agree with Art Cullen, but this time he nailed it-I am talking about his strong support for disclosure of the identity of defense fund donors (in the Des Moines Waterworks suit on nitrate pollution, of course).

To recap, Art was rightly concerned about special interest groups secretly influencing policy, etc.

Now, in fact, it is reported that some ag and commodity groups are willing to underwrite the continued defense costs, but with a catch, of course, in that they want farmers to be indemnified from liability if the (3) counties are found liable.