David Brooks recently wrote a pro-Marco Rubio column in The New York Times, and in passing said this: “At this stage it’s probably not sensible to get too worked up about the details of any candidate’s plans. They are all wildly unaffordable. What matters is how a candidate signals priorities.”
It won’t surprise you to learn that I disagree deeply. My experience is that the best way to figure out a presidential candidate’s true priorities – and get a sense of his or her character – is to take a hard look at policy proposals. My view here is strongly influenced by the story of George W. Bush. Younger readers may not know or remember what things were like back in 2000, but in those days the universal view of the commentariat was that Mr. Bush was a moderate, amiable and honest guy. What I saw was a level of dishonesty, irresponsibility and radicalism that was unprecedented in a presidential candidate from a major party. So I was out there warning that no matter how amiable he seemed, Mr. Bush was a dangerous guy.
And how did that work out?
Now we have candidates who are proposing “wildly unaffordable” tax cuts.
Can we start by noting that this isn’t a bipartisan phenomenon – that it’s not true that everyone does it? Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton isn’t recommending wildly unaffordable policies. Senator Bernie Sanders hasn’t offered details about how he’d pay for single-payer health care, but you can be sure that he will propose something. And proposing wildly unaffordable policies is itself a declaration of priorities: Mr. Rubio is saying that keeping the Hair Club for Growth happy is more important to him than even a pretense of fiscal responsibility. Or if you like, what we’re seeing is a willingness to pander without constraint or embarrassment.
Also, Mr. Rubio’s insistence that the magic of supply-side economics will somehow pay for the cuts is a further demonstration of priorities: Allegiance to voodoo trumps all.
At a more general level, I’d argue that it’s a really bad mistake to wave away policy silliness with a boys-will-be-boys attitude. Policy proposals tell us a lot about character – and the past 15 years have made it clear that journalists who imagine that they can judge character from the way people come across on television or in personal interviews are kidding themselves, and misleading everyone else.
Help us Prepare for Trump’s Day One
Trump is busy getting ready for Day One of his presidency – but so is Truthout.
Trump has made it no secret that he is planning a demolition-style attack on both specific communities and democracy as a whole, beginning on his first day in office. With over 25 executive orders and directives queued up for January 20, he’s promised to “launch the largest deportation program in American history,” roll back anti-discrimination protections for transgender students, and implement a “drill, drill, drill” approach to ramp up oil and gas extraction.
Organizations like Truthout are also being threatened by legislation like HR 9495, the “nonprofit killer bill” that would allow the Treasury Secretary to declare any nonprofit a “terrorist-supporting organization” and strip its tax-exempt status without due process. Progressive media like Truthout that has courageously focused on reporting on Israel’s genocide in Gaza are in the bill’s crosshairs.
As journalists, we have a responsibility to look at hard realities and communicate them to you. We hope that you, like us, can use this information to prepare for what’s to come.
And if you feel uncertain about what to do in the face of a second Trump administration, we invite you to be an indispensable part of Truthout’s preparations.
In addition to covering the widespread onslaught of draconian policy, we’re shoring up our resources for what might come next for progressive media: bad-faith lawsuits from far-right ghouls, legislation that seeks to strip us of our ability to receive tax-deductible donations, and further throttling of our reach on social media platforms owned by Trump’s sycophants.
We’re preparing right now for Trump’s Day One: building a brave coalition of movement media; reaching out to the activists, academics, and thinkers we trust to shine a light on the inner workings of authoritarianism; and planning to use journalism as a tool to equip movements to protect the people, lands, and principles most vulnerable to Trump’s destruction.
We urgently need your help to prepare. As you know, our December fundraiser is our most important of the year and will determine the scale of work we’ll be able to do in 2025. We’ve set two goals: to raise $120,000 in one-time donations and to add 1383 new monthly donors by midnight on December 31.
Today, we’re asking all of our readers to start a monthly donation or make a one-time donation – as a commitment to stand with us on day one of Trump’s presidency, and every day after that, as we produce journalism that combats authoritarianism, censorship, injustice, and misinformation. You’re an essential part of our future – please join the movement by making a tax-deductible donation today.
If you have the means to make a substantial gift, please dig deep during this critical time!
With gratitude and resolve,
Maya, Negin, Saima, and Ziggy