I have to say I’m surprised by the overwhelmingly negative reaction, at least within the political circles I travel, to Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine’s NYT op-ed defending Haitian immigrants in his state. Where I saw very welcome moderation from a Republican governor, others saw only a politician who still backs Donald Trump and JD Vance, as evidenced by the biting anti-DeWine remarks in the NYT comments section and in the emails I’ve received since publishing the post below. I thought most of the push-back to DeWine’s op-ed would come from the Fox News right. Wrong! It seems many Dems are in no mood for nice-nice moderation.

Here’s a representative anti-DeWine comment at the NYT (and the last one posted before the section was shut down): “Still supports Trump and Vance. Unconscionable and emblematic of the insanity of the MAGA cult. There is nothing that will turn them from their dear leader. Zero respect for you governor and you debase your own good argument here by supporting its antithesis!”  

After receiving similar emails critical of DeWine, I responded to a group of Dem friends: “At a critical point and on a critical issue, DeWine’s standing up to Trump and Vance, openly and forcefully. Are we not supposed to welcome this?”

Fortunately, another member of the email chain sort of came to my rescue, a fellow Dem with extensive experience in Haiti: “I have met DeWine multiple times, and he is a solid individual. He is saying exactly what should be said and is protecting Haitian immigrants more convincingly than many Democrats have. He is forcefully rebuking Trump and Vance, and this Op-Ed in the NYT will enrage them. So, on this one issue, he is spot-on. Not every Republican is going to be Liz Cheney.”

Fyi: I didn’t do an extensive search for right-wing reactions to the DeWine op-ed, but it seems there’s very little reaction in general. Ignoring it is a form of cancelling it, I suppose.