We Am Trump, or The Man Who Isn’t There

Maggots have spiracles (breathing holes) near their ass ends, which grant them the ability to eat for as long as they please without stopping for breath. This natural science factoid crossed my mind Friday, as Republican autophile Donald Trump proclaimed his glory, at length, to more than 3,500 adoring fans (EW’s count).

Counting down to Trump’s short-notice Eugene rally, the city clenched up nervously for the arrival of an angry rightwing cyclone-circus invasion of hillbillies, country music radio and riot cops.

This protester clarified to confused trumpers that he isn’t pro-trump, he’s ‘pro-circus’

Anti-Trump factions characterize his followers as dim rubes, led yet again to self-slaughter by a slick pretender. And some part of me was eager to smell, firsthand, the sickening fear-sweat hate froth so commonly described in news stories about The Donald’s rise to political fame.

But that’s not what I found.

I spoke with mothers who shared concerns about the world in which their kids are growing up. I listened to former Democrats who crossed over after Obama’s first term. A teenage boy wearing a T-shirt bearing the slogan “Trump that bitch!” told me not to sweat Trump’s bigotry; he’s only inciting conflict to get attention.

All agreed: Hillary Clinton is by far the greatest of looming evils.

Trump’s detractors have good reasons to feel afraid. Many seem to think King Trump will hammer the country down to fit his own weird vision of America, which might look like a 3.8-million square-mile police state Las Vegas.

But the Hilter analogies fizzle the moment you realize the great and powerful orange billionaire offers up zilch.

Trump supporter Jake Towe megaphone-karaokes Rodney Carrington’s ‘Vote for Trump’
in the Fairgrounds parking lot

Witnessing up close the furious bluster helped me to see the candidate as he really is: a blinking fluorescent tube at the end of dark alley, around which swarms a gaggle of apolitical git-’er-done Americans who share more DNA with lotus-eating Berners than either group is comfortable admitting.

Trump’s message is primarily subliminal. Racism and clumsy misogyny hide the simplest platform on offer this election season: Career politicians are venal and newspeople are a sort of vampire.

If Trump’s people look like a thousand living punch-lines to a thousand Jeff Foxworthy jokes, it’s because rural poor and working class Americans have held these truths to be self-evident for centuries.

And they’re not wrong.

A Note From the Publisher

Dear Readers,

The last two years have been some of the hardest in Eugene Weekly’s 43 years. There were moments when keeping the paper alive felt uncertain. And yet, here we are — still publishing, still investigating, still showing up every week.

That’s because of you!

Not just because of financial support (though that matters enormously), but because of the emails, notes, conversations, encouragement and ideas you shared along the way. You reminded us why this paper exists and who it’s for.

Listening to readers has always been at the heart of Eugene Weekly. This year, that meant launching our popular weekly Activist Alert column, after many of you told us there was no single, reliable place to find information about rallies, meetings and ways to get involved. You asked. We responded.

We’ve also continued to deepen the coverage that sets Eugene Weekly apart, including our in-depth reporting on local real estate development through Bricks & Mortar — digging into what’s being built, who’s behind it and how those decisions shape our community.

And, of course, we’ve continued to bring you the stories and features many of you depend on: investigations and local government reporting, arts and culture coverage, sudoku and crossword puzzles, Savage Love, and our extensive community events calendar. We feature award-winning stories by University of Oregon student reporters getting real world journalism experience. All free. In print and online.

None of this happens by accident. It happens because readers step up and say: this matters.

As we head into a new year, please consider supporting Eugene Weekly if you’re able. Every dollar helps keep us digging, questioning, celebrating — and yes, occasionally annoying exactly the right people. We consider that a public service.

Thank you for standing with us!