A downward spiral

Character assassination has long been a spectator sport in Washington, D.C. Indeed, history buffs regale us with sordid tales of libel, slander and assorted other methods of reputational damage — committed by the Founding Fathers, no less!

Even our most revered leaders – Lincoln, FDR, Kennedy, and Reagan – engaged or employed surrogates to torch their political opponents and dissenting members of the fourth estate.

I'm in the habit of reminding audiences of such history whenever I hear a questioner bemoan the vitriol associated with today's political discourse. "Nothing much new here" is my typical assurance. But I may soon be forced to change my opinion. It is becoming more difficult to make the case for historical equivalence. Three circumstances unique to the Trump era are to blame.

The first concerns Trump's rhetoric. Our forty-fifth president does not pretend to be a conservative intellectual. He often speaks in simple sentences. Much of what he says is unscripted. He can be vindictive in chastising his opponents – even when wrong on the facts. And apologies for crossing the line are not easily given.

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