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0 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? subscribe | newsletter | deals Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » NEWS NOW Do you favor raising the minimum wage? ... Teacher's Tips: Are we stressing too much over students' 'stress'? ... SOU now plans to heat with gas, not biomass ... Do you favor raising the minimum wage? ... Teacher's Tips: Are we stressing too much over students' 'stress'? ... SOU now plans to heat with gas, not biomass ... COMMENTARY Chris Honoré: The quintessential wedge candidate Comment By Chris Honoré DailyTidings.com By Chris Honoré Posted Feb. 22, 2016 at 12:01 AM By Chris Honoré Posted Feb. 22, 2016 at 12:01 AM » Social News I acknowledge that at the end of last summer, I was convinced that Donald Trump would either quickly lose interest in cobbling together any kind of presidential campaign or fail to receive the sustained validation that he so desperately needs. But, to my chagrin, he’s still with us. At the outset, in fascination, I watched and listened as he stood before increasingly large, cheering crowds, speaking in his belligerent fashion (referred to then as a “tone”), his slogan hat, “Make America Great Again,” often covering his Trumpian hair that is as indescribable as his rambling, free-associative speeches. Now, after all these months, what comes to mind is there is no there there. He’s an empty suit. Yet there’s this surreal, symbiotic relationship between Trump and his supporters that defies analysis. And countless pundits have tried. I’m sure the GOP leadership watches in fascination and even horror as Trump carries on, a loose cannon on the demagogic deck, his ahistorical rants chilling. Recall that at the outset, the Republican lineup was all about Jeb!. Trump was an interesting adjunct to the “real” candidates and his ego-driven, narcissistic entry into the contest a mere curiosity. He became his own “Apprentice.” So how to describe now the phenomenon known as Trump? Perhaps the only way to capture his style is to say that he is a “wedge” candidate in the broadest, most promiscuous sense of the term, wedge issues defined as social issues that are divisive or controversial and split apart a population or political group. What has been so interesting about Trump is that he has a bevy of wedge issues that he indiscriminately aims at the Republicans (Trump is all about winning, so first he has to win the nomination). He has so hammered his fellow candidates (plus G.W. Bush for failing to prevent 9/11) that he’s been accused of being a Democratic ringer, sent into the fray by Bill Clinton. There’s lots of video of liberal, pro-choice Trump praising the Clintons. “Wonderful people. They came to my (third) wedding.” But hey, people change, consistency is the hobgoblin of small minds, etc. Besides, that was then and this is now. Now consider the Trumpisms listed below. Think of them as wedges sprinkled liberally across the primary landscape and, taken in the aggregate, crafted to appeal to voters’ emotions — their fears, frustrations and anxieties — while avoiding any policy statements or proffered solutions. It’s a remarkable strategy: define yourself as a can-do guy — best schools, huge successful real estate business, tons of money, private jet — identify the wedge issues in the most hyperbolic terms and avoid the how. Immigration: Actually, Trump started as a “birther.” He had “people” in Hawaii, sent there to verify that Obama was born in Kenya, hence an illegitimate president. He’s since moved on to Mexicans (rapists, criminals) and Muslims (radical jihadists). They are now “the other.” Some 11 million “illegals” will be sent back to Mexico (the how is immaterial, as is the collateral damage). Muslims must be prevented from entering the U.S. and a national registry created of those who are here (“they cheered when the Twin Towers came down”). And there’s the Trump wall. Jobs: All coming back from China and Mexico. Trade deals: Just awful. The worst people: “Hillary was the worst secretary of state we’ve ever had. Ever. The worst. Our enemies are a disaster and they hate us more. Our friends are all gone. We don’t get along with anybody. Everybody’s ripping us off.” President Obama? The worst president, ever. John McCain? Not a war hero. “He was captured.” Winners don’t get captured. The worst deal: The Iran nuclear agreement. Awful. Just terrible. Alternative? No comment. John Kerry, our negotiator, “he’s 73, falls off his bike and breaks his leg. This is the mentality.” The Affordable Care Act: “A disaster. We’ll replace it with something far better.” With what? No comment. The news media: “So dishonest. Liars. Terrible people.” NBC, ABC, CBS, Fox News, all on his speed dial. But, hey. Ted Cruz, Jeb Bush, Marco Rubio: The worst. Just look at their polls. Let’s make America great again. And so it goes. Chris Honoré of Ashland is a Daily Tidings columnist. By Chris Honoré DailyTidings.com By Chris Honoré Posted Feb. 22, 2016 at 12:01 AM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... 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