I have a wonderful idea to facilitate healing across the political divide.

Last week, I was thumbing through the Phoenix when I chanced upon a rare treat, a letter from Mike Proto. In his letter, Mr. Proto shared his anger and sadness over President-elect Donald J. Trump’s electoral- and popular-vote victory. Fearful that Trump may undo all the good that only Democrats have done for the country, Mr. Proto says he is grateful to live in a deep blue stronghold like Rhode Island.

However, I question if this isolation is good for Mr. Proto’s party; the political landscape has visibly changed for anybody outside his bubble. When “conservatives,” who should be fuddy-duddies, are cheering on SpaceX rockets while “progressives” rehash the “Whitey on the Moon” jive of the 1970s, it’s pretty clear which side is looking backwards.

Change is afoot even in Rhode Island. Support for Trump has increased in every town and city statewide. He even flipped Woonsocket! And although Sandra Whitehouse will still be raking in that grant money, Rep. Patrician Morgan fared better than previous GOP challengers to the incumbent senator. “Sometimes the fight takes a while,” to quote Nov. 5’s biggest loser. “That doesn’t mean we won’t win.”

Unfortunately, Mr. Proto isn’t the only one living in a blue bubble. As the American Enterprise Institute documented in a 2021 study, Democrats have far fewer friends across the aisle than Republicans do. The study also suggests that Democrats are twice as likely than Republicans to end a friendship over political differences. In further evidence of this antisocial tendency, consider all the liberal gals on a sex strike to protest the election results. (Has “Grab-On” Don made America chaste again?)

Learning to engage with different perspectives can be hard.  Bristol’s libs need a safe space where they can have positive experiences with Trump-supporters firsthand — like the pages of the Phoenix.

I propose that, for at least the first year of Donaldus Magnus’s glorious return, the paper run a biweekly column in which a Trumper answers select questions on different topics from local lefties. Call it, “Stump a Trumper.” (That won’t happen, of course, but the title engages the target audience.) Questions could be submitted via Facebook, the Phoenix can select the best one every two weeks, and the lucky writer gets 800 words to address it.

Not only will “Stump a Trumper” put East Bay Newspapers at the national forefront of bipartisan healing, but it will also prove the advantages of print over TV news. Major networks are hemorrhaging their viewers, who feel played by cooked polls and delusive election coverage. Local print journalism now has the opportunity to step in as the smart alternative, by demonstrating it can respond more ably, more flexibly, to what’s really going on.

The Trumpster who writes for this great endeavor must be approachable, well-informed, eloquent and funny. It’s a big responsibility — but I’m prepared to discuss my salary, and additional terms, with the Phoenix privately.

Zachary Cooper
Bristol