What I know to be true

And what we're about to find out

One reaches an age in life when you hope to have obtained some wisdom – wisdom gained through covering hundreds if not thousands of politicians, writing about thousands of issues, reading, travel, and experiencing life’s ups and downs.

Four days before election day, here are some things that I believe to be true.

Are we better off than we were four years ago?

You’re damned right we are. Think back to where we were in November of 2020. Americans dying by the thousands. We barely left the house. We picked up groceries out in the parking lot. No movies. No eating out. No plane trips. Sporting events in empty stadiums. The Dow Jones average was at 27,000 compared to 42,000 today.

Sure, we can blame most of that on Covid. But that was the world that Joe Biden and Kamala Harris inherited when they took office in January 2021. They had to do something about it and act fast – to save lives and to keep the country from plunging into a depression. Federal dollars were pumped into the economy to keep businesses and local governments afloat – and to save jobs. That stimulus heated up the economy. Combined with pent-up consumer demand and the shipping crisis, inflation soared. To cool inflation, the fed raised interest rates – striking a delicate balance to tame inflation without tanking the economy.

All in all, it has worked. To expect that there would be no pain after all the world economy went though is simply unrealistic. Prices are higher but so are wages. The economy is adding jobs and cruising nicely. Inflation is under control. Interest rates are falling. Visit any metro restaurant on a Friday or Saturday night and tell me how awful the economy is. Restaurants are packed. Jump on an airplane and tell me Americans aren’t spending money on travel, because they are.

What I know: Covid could have caused a major economic depression which would have been much, much worse. But that didn’t happen. No question, the economy continues to cause difficulties for many Americans, but think about what could have been. We should stay the course, not change to a president who will slap tariffs on all foreign imports.

Immigration:

Trump has based his campaign on exploiting the immigration problem. America is not alone. The entire western world is struggling with immigration issues. Humans from Third World countries want a better life for themselves and their families. We must find realistic solutions.

In my book, Trump disqualified himself from even talking about immigration when he leaned on Republicans in Congress to kill the compromise bill earlier this year that would have put more money and manpower into the immigration problem. He further disqualifies himself by spreading hateful lies about immigrants.

What I know: America is changing. Sociological studies prove that immigrants who have the smarts and wherewithal to leave an untenable situation in their homeland commit crimes at a lower rate than the US-born population. They’re resourceful, hard-working people who can enhance any community they join. We need a more efficient and compassionate way to control immigration. Finger-pointing and divisive speech will not get us there.

Words matter – especially when spoken by our leaders:

I’ve never run for office (God forbid), but I know a few things about leadership. Good leaders model the behavior they want others to follow.

The other day I asked a local leader - who for decades has run an organization with revenues in the hundreds of millions of dollars - what he has learned about leading a team. I’m paraphrasing, but his answer was, “Hire good people and let them do their jobs. Treat people the way you want to be treated.”

Who would YOU want to work for these next four years? A person who models good behavior, who talks of uplifting Americans and uniting them? Or a person who is a felon, faces multiple indictments, who treats women like his personal playthings, who makes terrible hires and then fires them in humiliating ways, who uses crass language and who thinks he makes himself look big by belittling others?

What I know: I want to put my granddaughter on my knee, point to Kamala Harris, and say “You can be just like her some day.” Is there any grandparent in America who would point to Donald Trump and tell their grandchild, “I hope you grow up to be just like him!”? Surely not.

Yet here we are on the precipice of an election within the margin of error.

My friend and Writers’ Collaborative colleague Dennis Goldford wrote the other day, “Presidential elections tell us at least as much about who the American people are as they tell us about who the candidates are.”

What I know: We’re about to find out who the American people are.

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Iowa Down Ballot Podcast

The final edition before election day of the Iowa Down Ballot podcast is out for you to listen to. I moderated this week. Hear what our experienced political panelists feel in their guts will happen next week, the lack of newspaper endorsements, and which Iowa races to keep an eye on. Click here or listen from wherever you get your podcasts.