Opinion: Liberals and the Trump blame game

View in [Browser]( | Add nytdirect@nytimes.com to your address book. [The New York Times]( [The New York Times]( Monday, February 20, 2017 [NYTimes.com/Opinion »]( Ever since Donald Trump announced his presidential campaign and shot to the top of the polls, some political analysts have blamed liberals and liberalism for his rise. (For a long list of examples, type the words [“Trump liberals fault”]( into Google.) I find this argument to be pretty silly. Trump grew out of the political right, including Fox News and the false “birther” conspiracy theory. He was able to become president because the Republican establishment ultimately rallied to him. Liberals clearly failed in their attempts to stop Trump, but they did not create him. My Times colleague Sabrina Tavernise took on many of these issues in a piece this weekend entitled, [“Are Liberals Helping Trump?”]( I encourage you to read both the article and [the comments on Facebook]( where many readers took issue with the premise of the piece. As you read them, keep in mind that there is a big difference between being responsible for Trump and helping him. Liberals are not responsible for Trump. But they should be reflective about the fact that they haven’t yet come up with an effective strategy for beating him. Doing so will depend on winning over a significant number of Americans who voted for him. Simply calling him beyond the pale won’t persuade most of them. They heard that argument for much of 2016, and it didn’t sway them. The effective argument will need to be different. Perhaps the smartest piece I’ve yet read on opposing Trump is still [a November Op-Ed by Luigi Zingales]( talking about the strategies that worked — and did not work — for opposing Silvio Berlusconi in Italy: Treat him like an ordinary politician, not a caricature, and don’t forget how much support he has. The full Opinion report from The Times follows, including Peter Van Buren, who argues for [the moral necessity of leaking information]( under some circumstances by talking about his own experience during the Iraq War. David Leonhardt Op-Ed Columnist Editorial [Ryancare: You Can Pay More for Less!]( By THE EDITORIAL BOARD For Paul Ryan & Co., success means having you pay more for less. Op-Ed Columnist [Harry and Sidney: Soul Brothers]( By CHARLES M. BLOW On their 90th birthdays, an ode to two of the most remarkable men of our time. Op-Ed Columnist [On Economic Arrogance]( By PAUL KRUGMAN Why do Republicans imagine they can deliver growth? ADVERTISEMENT Op-Ed Contributors [Why the World Needs a Trump Doctrine]( By ZBIGNIEW BRZEZINSKI AND PAUL WASSERMAN Chaos and incoherence in American foreign policy are a threat to global stability. Editorial [North Korea, the Ultimate Challenge for a Dealmaker]( By THE EDITORIAL BOARD If the president consults the experts and approaches the issue with discipline, he might have a chance. Editorial [The Legacy of Zero Tolerance Policing]( By THE EDITORIAL BOARD People who miss court dates, even for minor offenses, have been hit with arrest warrants that turn nuisance offenses into serious problems. Wren McDonald [Op-Ed Contributor]( [Dysfunction and Deadlock at the Federal Election Commission]( By ANN M. RAVEL The agency’s three Republican commissioners have paralyzed efforts to keep the financing of elections open and honest. Contributing Op-Ed Writer [How Donald Trump Might Save the E.U.]( By IVAN KRASTEV President Chaos has made Europeans nervous about taking risks on right-wing populists. Op-ed contributor [Why Donald Trump Doesn’t Understand Black Life]( By MYCHAL DENZEL SMITH He isn’t paying attention. Contributing Op-Ed Writer [Will Brazilians Cancel Carnival?]( By VANESSA BARBARA Some have voted to help poor children instead of partying in giant baby costumes. The Stone [Trump and the ‘Society of the Spectacle’]( By ROBERT ZARETSKY Are we merely addicted consumers of the spectacular images the president creates? ADVERTISEMENT Sunday Review [When It’s Time to Blow the Whistle]( By PETER VAN BUREN It’s simple. The public servant who sees government wrongdoing answers the call of conscience. Sunday Review [Want Melania Trump in the White House? Pay Her]( By JENNIFER WEINER No more free labor from hostesses in chief. Letters [Should Judge Gorsuch Answer?]( Readers take sides after the judge refused to answer questions from Senator Schumer. FOLLOW OPINION [Facebook] [FACEBOOK]( [Twitter] [@nytopinion]( [Pinterest] [Pinterest]( Get more [NYTimes.com newsletters »](  | Get unlimited access to NYTimes.com and our NYTimes apps for just $0.99. [Subscribe »]( ABOUT THIS EMAIL You received this message because you signed up for NYTimes.com's Opinion Today newsletter. [Unsubscribe]( | [Manage Subscriptions]( | [Change Your Email]( | [Privacy Policy]( | [Contact]( | [Advertise]( Copyright 2017 The New York Times Company 620 Eighth Avenue New York, NY 10018