The Opinion Outpost features opinions and commentary on the latest hot topics from national news sources.
Utah Elections
A principled conservative and a platform Republican and an experienced mayor are all the same thing – politicians. And no matter how dynamic a politician is, he will have little ability to truly make a difference in the mammoth-like beast that is our nation's capital.
I doubt most Utahns watched last night's debate, or even knew it was happening, because we are too busy living the moments that create our humanity. We are busy celebrating toddler soccer games and new jobs. We are busy helping each other move and listening to friends cry over divorce or failure or death.
We are just too busy to fret over something that won't make a difference anyway.
— Michelle Quist Mumford
It’s critical that local Republicans begin paying attention. With a nation divided on entitlement spending, health care, taxation and a panoply of other critical issues that affect countless lives in Utah, the Beehive State must send its best offering to the nation’s capital to work toward meaningful solutions.
— Deseret News editorial board
Donald Trump Jr.'s Email
What Donald Trump Jr. did in accepting a meeting with someone supposedly linked to the Russian government was dirty, and stupid, but it is not evidence that his father’s campaign “colluded” with Russia to defeat Hillary Clinton. It is evidence, instead, that many involved with the election of Donald Trump were political neophytes, and that the campaign was operating on a shoestring. In a normal campaign, lawyers might have been contacted, red flags would have been issued, and underlings would have taken the meeting. That didn’t happen, in part because there was almost no infrastructure to the Trump campaign.
—Liz Peek
Fox News
Well, the Trump family apparently had a deal with the Agalarov family to bring a Trump Tower to Moscow. It was put on hold when Donald ran for president. But it’s possible that Junior was trying to keep Emin happy because he was hoping to eventually get the plan back on track.
So you could certainly argue that the president’s son was only pretending he was working with a foreign power trying to manipulate the results of the American election. When his real motives were just making a profit off the presidency. Be fair.
—Gail Collins
Women and gun ownership
Polls likely understate women’s gun ownership rates. Surveys consistently show that married women are less likely than married men to tell pollsters that their household has guns. One can only speculate that women are more reluctant or embarrassed to tell strangers how they protect their family or simply that they are more embarrassed to say that they own guns.
— John R. Lott
Obamacare repeal
I've met with high-ranking Trump administration officials and key members of the Congress — and what I've witnessed is mounting frustration and disappointment. The effort to repeal and replace Obamacare seems to have been an effort in name only. Behind the scenes, there was little organization and coordination. And in front of the curtain, there was virtually no messaging strategy, no attempt to communicate with the American people.
Where's the energy on Capitol Hill? Where's the creativity? Where's the courage?
— Dan Weber
Washington Examiner
“Repeal and replace Obamacare!” makes a great campaign slogan, but as we have learned, translating the slogan into good policy is not easy. President Trump’s lofty promises during the campaign season about some magical solution that would reduce costs, improve care and make everybody happy have been stymied by the old adage, “There ain’t no such thing as a free lunch.” Commonsense health care reform is difficult but possible ... access for everyone is fiscally responsible if we want all our citizens to be productive. But we must abandon partisan grandstanding to make it happen.
— Steve Olsen
Ivanka’s paid leave program
But whether consciously or not, Ms. Trump ... frankly admits that the unregulated market, hailed by so many politicians as the ultimate creator of jobs and prosperity for all, has failed “those who need these benefits the most.” She added, “The poorest, most vulnerable workers in our society get left behind” by business-provided work-family policies.
Americans should be entitled to live in a society that invests in the jobs, education and infrastructure they need to attain a comfortable standard of living now and to be confident their children and grandchildren will have equal or greater opportunities to succeed.
— Stephanie Coontz