The conventions are over. People say, in rather depressed tones, “Well now we can catch up on our sleep.”

Sleep, the only escape from nightmare days. Donald Trump is scary enough for Republican leaders to desert the party for this election, but not scary enough to override their hatred of Hillary Clinton.

I’ve never understood Hillary hatred. It goes back to Arkansas. When Bill lost his re-election campaign for governor, it was Hillary’s fault: She used her maiden name! She became Hillary Rodham Clinton and Bill won his next election. In Washington, columnists complained about her hair. She changed it. Then they complained she was always changing it. A staffer committed suicide, obviously Hillary’s fault. She was having an affair with him, or she was not having an affair with him. Then came Monica Lewinsky. Hillary was criticized for staying with Bill. What people would have said if she had left I cannot imagine.

Meanwhile Trump refuses to share his tax returns. His relationship with Putin is, or is not, cozy; he will, or will not, desert all the nations Putin would like to control. There is great hoopla over the Gold Star mother. No one mentions his hairstyle any more.

There will be more. Months and months more. Today’s scandal will be replaced by tomorrow’s. Finally we will vote, based no doubt, on October’s scandal. The winner will be our president. The person to appoint Supreme Court judges, to have his or her finger on the button, to deal with the daily problems: things like the national debt (perhaps Trump, with his experience with bankruptcy, could come up with a novel solution).

Predictions are difficult. Waiting for an answer is painful. Living with the answer may be more so.

Ruth Webber Evans

Hallowell


Only subscribers are eligible to post comments. Please subscribe or login first for digital access. Here’s why.

Use the form below to reset your password. When you've submitted your account email, we will send an email with a reset code.