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0 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? e-edition | subscribe | newsletter | deals Home News Latest Stories Emergency services Holly Theatre artifacts recovered Since You Asked: Is the 50 mph speed zone near Exit 24 always in effect? Get Up & Go: Nov. 27 Wisconsin DOJ sues White City publishing groups Crime, Courts and Emergency Services Emergency services Grants Pass woman killed when car hits tree Emergency services Medford man gets 70 months for stabbing neighbor who told him to quiet down Gay rights groups object to sergeant's letter Politics and Elections Buckley again named Ways and Means Committee co-chairman Latest count shows Measure 92 supporters narrowing deficit Granlund cartoon: GOP wrecking balls Ballot measures played little role in mobilizing voters in state Senate race 'Euphoria' over pot initiative Education Homelessness is growing problem for Medford students Les AuCoin recommended for SOU board Good news for SOU: Enrollment's up Mom gives school lobby a makeover Crater students present play about Thoreau's night in jail Environment Curbing urban runoff in Gold Hill Mt. View Estates' fill, riprap work lacked county permit Birders sought for bird counts Grow 'em before you plant 'em Since You Asked: Biomass One makes steam-generated power State News Turkey's great escape foils Thanksgiving plans Crow seizures: 30 birds dead in Portland parks Damaged mill lays off more than 200 Port slowdowns hurt Washington apple exports Fishermen's wives sue Coast Guard to keep helicopter station open Nation - World Grand jury won't indict Ferguson cop in shooting Obituaries Lue K. Woolstenhulme Mary "Janet" Kimmons In Appreciation Doris Lucy Bell Fred L. Higginbotham Weather Photo Galleries Since You Asked Videos Web Cams Mail Tribune 100 Sports Latest Stories Beavs keep close, but fall in MGM Consolation Hot Blazers secure ninth straight triumph Cowboys’ stadium offers little home field advantage Catching On Even top teams have taken steps back Varsity 541 College Sports Beavs keep close, but fall in MGM Consolation In college football politics, only selection committee’s vote matters Giant Killers? UO's Loyd sets sights on end zone Even in Big 12, TCU still fighting for spotlight Pro Sports Hot Blazers secure ninth straight triumph Cowboys’ stadium offers little home field advantage Catching On Even top teams have taken steps back Pistons can't hold Mayo in loss Community Sports RESULTS/STANDINGS LOCAL EVENTS Business Latest Stories Asante expands cardiac center Jackson County sees workforce and job growth Regional hotels and motels outperformed statewide marks in October Incorrect labeling prompts Kroger ice cream recall Allegiant Air will resume Medford-Phoenix service May 22 Real Estate News Dear Monty: Violation of HOA rules creates conflict Farmers file suit over GMO crop ban Financial webinars offered for veterans and their families Home prices rise across Jackson County People In Business People in Business, Nov. 18 People in Business, Nov. 8 Transportation Allegiant Air will resume Medford-Phoenix service May 22 Medford airport passenger counts sky high in October Erickson reports third quarter profit Lithia reports $34.5 million third-quarter profit Agriculture Farmers file suit over GMO crop ban Lawsuit seeks to overturn Jackson County's GMO ban or net $4.2 million for farms Latest count shows Measure 92 supporters narrowing deficit Opinion Latest Our View: Day of abundance, season of sharing Dana Milbank: Obama has his Rumsfeld moment Letters to the Editor, Nov. 27 George Will: Thanks, or something: Let's hear it for entertainment Granlund cartoon: Thanksgiving Editorials Our View: Day of abundance, season of sharing Another View: Logging still has a place in Oregon Our View: Lawsuit reopens the GMO debate Other Views: Legislators shbould avoid feel-good distractions Our View: Signs of controversy Letters to the Editor Letters to the Editor, Nov. 27 Letters to the Editor, Nov. 26 Letters to the Editor, Nov. 24 Letters to the Editor, Nov. 23 Letters to the Editor, Nov. 21 Guest Opinions Guest Opinion: Are we the preferred path to global devastation? Guest Opinion: Fight for the rights of independent voters will continue Guest Opinion: 'Natural' not necessarily better for forest management Guest Opinion: County voters rebuffed judicial appointment process Fix health care reform, don't scrap it Lifestyle Latest stories Blog: BOOK IT! Friday's Special Turkey Edition Health insurance enrollment help available Ride & Drive: 2015 Ford Mustang Community blog: Appreciating Clouds: Year-Round Gratitude Community blog: In soup or salad, savor pumpkin with leeks Food Community blog: In soup or salad, savor pumpkin with leeks Be a gravy-making star on Thanksgiving Food for Thought: Add new twists on Thanksgiving favorites Community blog: Feast on this blog's Thanksgiving recipes, tips Kitchen Call: Both sides of the kiddie table Home and Garden 9 ways to green your gift wrap Dear Monty: How to find a good real estate attorney Home Help: Quick tips for getting your home ready for the holidays Mortgage insurance: Your questions answered Home Help: Spruce up your home with quick DIY painting projects Health Health insurance enrollment help available Community blog: Appreciating Clouds: Year-Round Gratitude Community blog: A Little Toilet Talk 'Tis the season to be jolly County resident no longer at risk for Ebola Hiking Biking Faith Religion news: Pope aims to expedite sex abuse rulings Religion news: Seattle-based mega-church dissolves Religion Briefs 'Walk the talk' Religion briefs Milestones and Achievements ACCESS receives $50,000 donation from Wells Fargo Wedding: Rogers-Horn Century Club Wedding: Tomlinson-Nowak Local farmers need more products in grocery stores Columnist for a Day Rogue Healthy Aging Tempo Latest stories Shae Johnson releases 'Can You Feel the Music' Jeff Kloetzel releases 'Long Time Coming' New 'Alice' has some for kids ... and adults The Bohemian Club A new guitar slinger in town Theater OCT's holiday show is a wonderful play New 'Alice' has some for kids ... and adults 'It's a Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play' opens at Oregon Cabaret Theatre 'Red Noses' a romp through slapstick and pathos SOU presents 'The Drunken City' Music Shae Johnson releases 'Can You Feel the Music' Jeff Kloetzel releases 'Long Time Coming' A new guitar slinger in town Peter Chianca: Top 40 songs even a dad could love The Farr Side: Different artists, common songs Community Events New exhibits highlight Third Fridays Clayfolk Show set for this weekend at Medford Armory Review: Randall Theatre's 'Secret Garden' still enchanting Ashland's First Friday Art Walk showcases new exhiits by regional artists Spookadelic Halloween Funktacular promises a lively dance party Dining The Bohemian Club Thanksgiving comes early at Taprock Word of Mouth: Brunch at Brothers' Restaurant Blue Toba is a cultural experience Tempo Videos Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » Obituaries Blogs TV Listings Movie Listings Oregon Outdoors Oregon Healthy Living Magazines & Special Sections NEWS NOW Our View: Day of abundance, season of sharing ... 'She's just an amazing lady' ... Travelers should be alert for wet, but changeable weather ... Our View: Day of abundance, season of sharing ... 'She's just an amazing lady' ... Travelers should be alert for wet, but changeable weather ... ANOTHER VIEW Michael Gerson: Our gathering storm MailTribune.com Writer Posted Nov. 14, 2014 @ 12:01 am Posted Nov. 14, 2014 @ 12:01 am » Social News When Abraham Lincoln first presented a version of the Emancipation Proclamation to his Cabinet, Secretary of State William Seward warned that issuing it after a defeat would look desperate. Better to wait "until the eagle of victory takes his flight" and then "hang your proclamation about his neck." Lincoln postponed action until after the Union victory (such as it was) at Antietam. Our president today apparently regards an executive order on immigration — which might grant legal status to millions of undocumented adults — in the same historical category. But he seems intent on hanging his proclamation about the neck of an electoral defeat — more a lame duck than an eagle. And there would be serious political and social consequences to such a strategy. As someone who supports the goal of providing legal status and a realistic path to citizenship for law-abiding undocumented workers — as part of comprehensive immigration reform — I sympathize with President Obama's frustration. Republicans in Congress could have, should have, agreed to comprehensive legislation in 2007 when President George W. Bush pushed for it, and in 2013 when the Senate approved it. At some point, the GOP must put this issue behind it and begin serious outreach to Latinos. But politics (in a democracy at least) is not only about outcomes but about methods. And the manner in which a great policy matter is resolved can leave it unresolved. The passage of the Affordable Care Act on a party-line march — which could not even attract the support of moderate Republicans such as Sen. Susan Collins — helped turn health care into a divisive, highly ideological debate. No elected Republican had a political or emotional investment in the legislative outcome. And the advocates of a conservative approach to health care reform were placed on the defensive. Supporting an alternative to Obamacare (at least for a time) was viewed by some conservative activists as ideological softness. The aggressive use of executive orders to limit greenhouse gas emissions (also promised by the Obama administration) would probably reinforce similar attitudes. Confronting climate change — which drew bipartisan attention a decade ago — would be confirmed in the minds of many Republicans as a radical, progressive project. Conservatives concerned about the issue would be (further) marginalized and discredited. An ambitious executive order by Obama on immigration would result in an even greater ideological storm. Nearly all Republicans would have deep legal and procedural objections. Many would be convinced that Obama is playing a ruthless form of politics with serious constitutional matters. Some, surely and sadly, would be driven into discrediting fits of anti-immigrant rage. (If this reaction figures anywhere in Obama's calculation as a political upside, it would be a particularly sickening form of cynicism.) And those conservatives who advocate for comprehensive reform would be (further) marginalized and discredited. Some progressive commentators have argued that since Republicans are hopeless on these issues anyway, they might as well be steamrolled. This implies a profound disdain for democratic procedures. It also involves a belief that Republican legislators will never be part of a broadly accepted legislative outcome on immigration; that they will never join a legitimate and respected democratic consensus. And just because Obama could not achieve this — with an off-putting manner and one of the weakest legislative operations of modern times — does not mean it is unachievable. This is not the Civil War. Obama's recourse to an executive order would be a form of confession that he could not make the legislative process work on one of the most important policy matters facing our nation. But another president might. If Obama takes this path, congressional Republicans will have flawed and limited options. Talk of impeachment would be politically suicidal. Attempting to shut down the government has been disastrously tried before. Legal challenges will be attempted. But the real problem for Republicans is that they lost the presidency in 2012 — an office with considerable powers even after a midterm presidential repudiation. And whatever strategy Republicans select should be designed to increase their chances of securing the presidency in 2016, instead of merely venting understandable but self-destructive outrage. After a series of national elections that empowered two parties on an ideological collision course, Americans are about to be treated to a magnified version of everything they hate: overreach, backlash, deadlock, threats and lasting bitterness. It is like a Shakespearian drama — without the interesting characters and quality dialogue. Everyone seems driven by their own angels and demons toward predictable tragedy. Something senseless this way comes. Michael Gerson's email address is [email protected]. 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