The constant conflict of ideas

When Donald Trump was first elected President of the USA, I wrote that I had a feeling of dread. This time I have that same feeling, but it is mixed with curiosity – Trump is so unpredictable that anything could happen, from World War 3 to World peace. Worrying and intriguing times ahead!

A few general points about media coverage – I found the Irish stations biased to varying degrees against Trump and in favour of Harris. Yes, they had a few token Republicans from time to time, but even presenters made little attempt to hide their contempt for Trump. Harris made ‘reproductive rights’ so central to her campaign, and, in the coverage, the existence of a valid and coherent pro-life point of view was virtually ignored, while it was casually assumed that woman in general were pro-choice and anti-Trump. Well, that assumption was blown out of the water. Many commentators felt that Harris alienated moderate Democrats, including Latinos, who were largely Catholic. In one CNN exit poll I saw reported on Sky News, on the Wednesday of the result, it was an important issue for only 14% of the voters. Democracy was the prime concern (interestingly) while the economy came second (predictably).

I couldn’t stay up all night watching results programmes, but was very surprised next morning to find it was pretty much a done deal by 8am our time. I was expecting days of tension. The rapid and decisive nature of Trump’s victory probably dampened much of the expected post-vote conflict. This time I didn’t find as much evidence in the coverage as I thought I would of Trump Derangement Syndrome.

Generally, I preferred Times Radio for my coverage – I find the presenters cheerful and mostly free from axe-grinding. On the Times Radio Breakfast on the Wednesday morning, I thought presenter Stig Abel hit at least one nail on the head when he suggested that while the left used to be for the working class, they now favoured the university educated elite, while the right had gone in the opposite direction.

One of the better discussions on Irish radio was on The Last Word (Today FM, Wednesday). There was quite a bit of the usual cheerful sparring between Marian McKeone, very anti-Trump, but admitting she got her forecasts wrong, and Cal Thomas, very much a conservative but not a Trump fan. He thought success would be the best revenge for Trump. Though he generally leans Democrat, Larry Donnelly of NUIG provided a moderate and well-balanced commentary on this show and others that day. He thought the Democrats had lost votes by drifting to ‘the hard cultural left’.

The same good humour in disagreement that we could all benefit from was also evident on Press Preview (Sky News, Thursday) when liberal leaning Jenny Kleeman jousted with conservative Alex Deane about the US election and other stories of the day. The good-humoured sparring between those of different perspectives is generally a feature of this show, while it reviews the events of the day and nicely tees up the next day’s agenda.

Still on life in America, Father Stu (Channel 4, Saturday) featured Mark Wahlberg in the true story of a boxer turned priest. This was no preachy and sentimental faith story, but it took religious faith very seriously and treated it positively as we followed Fr Stuart Long’s rather unusual vocation story. As the film tells it, he was born into a rather dysfunctional family where alcohol played rather too central a role. He was deeply affected by the death of his young brother and had a fractured relationship with his father Bill (Mel Gibson). Self-destructive behaviour led to a motorcycle accident, and that, along with his love for a Catholic teacher caused him to reassess his life, which ultimately led him to the seminary. There was also an encounter with a mysterious Christ figure in a bar and a possible vision of Our Lady as he lay injured after the accident.

The constant use of foul language by Stu and his mother and father is off-putting – his confessor suggests he tone it down. It features even in sacramental scenes, which is jarring. There is a lot of hostility towards religion in the early part of the film, but this changes thoroughly. It is certainly not family viewing, but mature religious viewers will find it rewarding, which non-religious viewers may find food for thought if they stick with it.

PICK OF THE WEEK

THE DIVINE SPARK
RTE Radio 1 Friday November 15, 10:05pm
New religious affairs series with Dearbhail McDonald.

TURLEY TALKS
EWTN Monday November 18, 7am, Wednesday 20, 10pm and Friday 22, 2pm
Scottish composer and conductor, Sir James MacMillan, speaks to Kevin Turley about his vocation as a classical composer and the important role that Catholic artists can play in society.

YOUNG, BRITISH AND ANTI-ABORTION
BBC One Wednesday November 20, 10:40pm
Film-maker Poppy Jay meets the Gen-Zers leading anti-abortion campaigns. Online, on campuses and on the streets, she finds a movement growing in confidence.