Another national nightmare begins with the sad realization news media did little to prevent election of a Liar-In-Chief

From Paul Zanetti, an Australian political cartoonist.

By VICTOR E. SASSON
EDITOR

The ascendancy of wacko racist Donald J. Trump shows the danger of the news media focusing on politics instead of issues, and doing little to expose the president-elect's hundreds of campaign lies.

From his claim that millions of illegal immigrants are pouring across our borders to his demonization of President Obama as a Muslim, Trump was able to get away with murdering the truth time and again.

In fact, Obama has deported more illegal aliens than any previous president, and he's taken a lot of heat for that.

Anti-free trade

Is free trade responsible for shuttered U.S. factories, as Trump says, or did greedy corporations start exporting millions of job overseas to fatten their bottom lines?

It's highly unlikely Trump will be able to get automakers, drug companies and others to close foreign factories and repatriate those job -- just as Mexico won't ever pay for a wall on the U.S. border.

How about his charge that Democrat Hillary Clinton -- who has fought for children, women and families from the time she was first lady in Arkansas -- accomplished absolutely nothing in her 30 years in government?

Racial animosity

The news media, including The Record of Woodland Park, allowed Trump to tap into deep reservoirs of racial animosity toward Obama, and didn't call him out for that.

So, when will the news media report Trump was largely elected by anti-black, anti-women voters?

Last night, I watched election coverage on both CBS and CNN, and was horrified at what basically was a numbers game.

When CBS commentators discussed the campaign, they did so superficially, noting Trump's call for "change" resonated with voters, especially white men.

Even Gayle King, the African-American co-anchor of CBS This Morning, didn't mention that in 2008, Obama used "Change We Can Believe In" as one of the slogans that propelled him into the White House.

Nor, did I hear any commentator link gridlock in Washington to racist Republicans who vowed to vote against any initiative from our first black president, and tried to repeal the Affordable Care Act more than 60 times.

Today's paper

When my copy of The Record hit the driveway this morning, it carried stale headlines:

"Historic election stretches into wee hours"

"Edge of our seats" 

I guess the election would have been "historic" -- if a woman won.

But what's "historic" about the ascendancy of a billionaire racist who apparently cheated on his taxes, shafted anyone he did business with and paid slave wages to minority workers?

We'll get a reprise of President Reagan, if Trump succeeds in giving the wealthy an enormous tax break and calling it anything but what it is -- more "trickle-down economics."

The Associated Press was quick to label Trump "a political outsider" or "political novice" instead of reporting he presented voters with the vision of a dictator who would throw out due process and other constitutional protections to make American White Again.

Garrett out

In North Jersey, former White House speechwriter Josh Gottheimer was elected in the 5th Congressional District, deafeating Rep. Scott Garrett, R-Wantage, an ultra-conservative House member first elected in 2002.

As he has done for years, Washington Correspondent Herb Jackson of The Record focuses on who had the edge in campaign funds, and how the campaign turned nasty (L-1).

Jackson never quoted Gottheimer, a Democrat, who repeatedly identified Garrett as a "Tea Party radical" who voted against Superstorm Sandy aid and a bill to aid first responders after 9/11.

Gas-tax 'lockbox'

Voters also rejected a ballot proposal to allow two casinos in North Jersey -- a doomed measure The Record backed with an unusually large number of stories in anticipation of thousands of dollars in new advertising revenue (L-1).

But voters approved a constitutional amendment dedicating all of the state's motor fuels tax to transportation funding.

In the three years Governor Christie and the Democrats fought over raising the gasoline tax, The Record's reporters and columnists never pointed out the environmental benefits of higher gasoline prices, if they prompted owners to trade in their gas guzzlers for more efficient cars or simply drive less.

A 23-cents-a-gallon hike in the gasoline tax went into effect on Nov. 1, but for many drivers it's no big deal, despite the hysterical headlines in The Record.

For most, the tax hike will translate into another $2 to $3 on each fill-up.