Both Parties Must Heal Internal Divisions after Election | Eastern North Carolina Now

    Publisher's note: The author of this post is Dan Way, who is an associate editor for the Carolina Journal, John Hood Publisher.

Longtime PBS anchor and Duke alumna says primary campaign revealed deep fissures within Democratic and Republican faithful


    Deep divisions among Americans will fester long after the Nov. 8 presidential election, and veteran television news anchor Judy Woodruff is concerned about the animus. She also said the fractured Republican and Democratic national parties will undergo intense soul-searching.

    "Donald Trump has tapped into this anger that so many people feel," Woodruff said on Oct. 11 of the Republican presidential nominee, who recently came under fire over the release of a 2005 video in which he made lewd comments about groping women.

    "Even with all the problems in the last few days that he's had, he's still at 38, 40, 42 percent in the national polls," said Woodruff, the featured speaker at City Club Raleigh's National Public Affairs Forum. Duke graduate David Hartman, actor and former host of "Good Morning America" who now lives in Durham, moderated a question-answer session.

    Woodruff, who attended Meredith College and graduated from Duke University, has anchored and held senior positions at CNN, and NBC, and now co-anchors "PBS NewsHour," said pundits believe Trump is likely to lose the election.

    If he does, "What is he going to do with that anger that's out there? Where are those people going to go? Who will be their champion after Nov. 8? It's not just going to disappear on Nov. 9," Woodruff said. Nor will the "anger and disrespect" towards Hillary Clinton.


"PBS NewsHour" co-anchor Judy Woodruff talks with PBS documentary maker David Hartman, who moderated her Oct. 11 presentation at City Club Raleigh’s National Public Affairs Forum. (CJ photo by Dan Way)

    "How is it going to affect her ability to govern if she's elected [or] if the shoe's on the other foot and Donald Trump were elected?" Woodruff asked.

    Woodruff's appearance occurred five days before the Orange County Republican Party headquarters in Hillsborough was firebombed. Vandals also had spray-painted a swastika and an anti-GOP message on a nearby building.

    The Trump insurgency will have a post-election effect on the Republican Party, she said.

    "There's no question what we're looking at today is going to be a re-examination that is going to be taking place in the Republican Party," Woodruff said.

    In response to the Trump video, House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., directed resources for the final month of the campaign away from his own party's presidential nominee. Trump vice presidential running mate Mike Pence withheld support of Trump initially, but relented after the Oct. 9 debate against Clinton.

    "I never thought we would see a moment like that. Unimaginable," Woodruff said. "We've seen actions, and events, and statements the likes of which we've never seen before from both parties," and she expects a Republican revolt in the House against Ryan's pulling campaign funds away from Trump.

    "There's going to be a sorting out, internecine warfare," Woodruff said.

    On the other side, Woodruff cited statements during the primary campaign from Clinton's chief rival, Vermont U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders. "Sanders certainly pointed out some of the divisions inside the Democratic Party" and contrasting himself with Clinton, whom he labeled beholden to Wall Street, she said.

    Even as Woodruff was speaking, news outlets were reporting on the latest release of emails WikiLeaks says it hacked from various government and private sources.

    The emails showed a variety of media outlets and Democratic National Committee interim chairwoman Donna Brazile either leaked debate questions or Sanders campaign information to the Clinton camp, offered other sorts of help to give Clinton high-profile publicity in their publications, and extended to her veto power over quotes in stories. Brazile denied she aided the Clinton team.

    Political polarization has tunneled into both political parties as well as the electorate, Woodruff said.

    "It's this idea that the other side is the enemy, that if you're in my party, and you work with the other party, then you're a traitor, and we're going to do everything we can to make sure you don't win re-election," Woodruff said.

    "Members of Congress who work with the other party now are often singled out and told they will not be supported with party money, and that they will look for someone to run against them in the primary," and that erodes political middle ground, Woodruff said.

    Many voters tell their congressional representatives to "stand up for your principles, and don't work for the other side" when they get elected, she said. "The only thing that's going to change that is when the voters of this country say we've had enough of this," and demand elected officials work across the aisle to solve the country's problems.

    On other matters, Woodruff:

  • Said there is "an entire swath of Americans who believe racism and intolerance is alive and well," and another group "who believe law enforcement officers are not respected for the work that they do, for the sacrifices they make every day." She wonders if the country will be able to have conversations about "the [riots] that took place in Charlotte, and in too many other American cities."
  • Believes gun control compromise is elusive. "How are we going to deal with the group arguing there should be no meaningful restrictions on gun use? The Second Amendment, that's what the Founding Fathers ... wanted, and that's the end of discussion." On the other side are "people who are crying out for something to be done about gun violence," and seeking background checks or other meaningful reforms.
  • Lamented that thousands of "shoe leather reporters" who dug for facts are out of work, replaced by "people who simply collect opinion," and are prized for their ability to deliver sharp quips in a few characters, and sound bites. That trend "bothers me," and it is up to the public to inform itself on issues from reliable media sources.
  • Foresees modifications or attempts to alter existing trade agreements such as NAFTA "given what we've been hearing during this election, not only from Donald Trump but Hillary Clinton's evolution on the issue" opposing the Trans-Pacific Partnership, "one of the very open splits between Hillary Clinton and President Obama."

    Despite its warts and flaws, Woodruff said the American electoral system, including its freedom to vote, is our "most valuable gift of all."

    However, her biggest applause line was about the 2016 campaign season: "I'm like all of you. I can't wait for it to be over."
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