I am not naive. There are people who simply hate Trump and have no interest in letting go of their hate, and I hear from them. I know that hate flows in the other direction, too. But based on the scores of responses I have received, most Americans, whether pro- or anti-Trump, engage in deeper analysis and perspective than the bombastic presentations of too many cable news programs suggest.

I respect everyone who participates in the political process. In these pieces, you won't see me differentiate "real Americans" from others who somehow are not real Americans, or use terms such as "liberal snowflake." Some have taken offense to my reference to East or West Coast "elitists." If that's the most derogatory term I use, please forgive me. I realize that not every liberal who lives on the coasts has an elitist attitude, and of course even elitists are real Americans, too.