NEWS AND OPINION:
Former U.N. Ambassador John R. Bolton is watching President Obama’s upcoming visit to Hiroshima at week’s end with a keen eye. Mr. Obama is due to visit the Japanese city on Friday, the first president to do so since the U.S. dropped an atomic bomb on the site 70 years ago, by order of Harry Truman, a Democrat. Mr. Bolton, however, has already crafted his response to the visit: a public-service ad produced through the Foundation for American Security and Freedom, which focuses on national security issues here and abroad.
“President Obama has made it his mission to apologize for American exceptionalism, which has damaged our reputation and standing throughout the world,” says Mr. Bolton, who chairs the foundation. “This ad reflects on the fearless and independent spirit of the American people and serves as a reminder that generations of American soldiers did not sacrifice their life in service to this country to have our president apologize for our greatness.”
The new ad comes right to the point: “America: We’ve never backed down.” The powerful 30-second spot will be featured on major news organization websites in six cities and can be seen at fasfreedom.com/apology
“I hope our next president shares the understanding that America is a great nation, and that peace is only maintained when America leads from a position of strength,” Mr. Bolton adds.
Will there be an presidential apology? Mr. Obama was already weighed in on how he sees the visit.
“Our visit to Hiroshima will honor all those who were lost in World War II and reaffirm our shared vision toward a world without nuclear weapons,” he told Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who allowed he had no immediate plans to visit Pearl Harbor in Hawaii, site of a Japanese air attack that essentially brought the United States into World War II.
“What might be a lesson to draw from the trip that I just took to Vietnam is that former adversaries are now working in partnership to provide economic opportunities and to expand trade and commerce,” Mr. Obama continued, noting that Vietnam and Hiroshima are both “a reminder that war involves sufferings and we should always do what we can to prevent it.”
THE MORAL SLIDE IS REAL
Many voters have revealed they have a gnawing fear that the America they know and revere is slipping away, along with civility and civic engagement. Part of the reason for that fear can be found in a new Gallup poll.
“Americans remain far more likely to say the state of moral values in the U.S. is getting worse (73 percent) than to say it is getting better (20 percent). Over a 15-year trend, solid majorities have consistently viewed the direction of the country’s values negatively,” writes Justin McCarthy, a Gallup analyst.
Currently, 84 percent of Republicans and 61 percent of Democrats agree that moral standards are in decline.
“Platform issues on moral values are frequently espoused by Republican candidates for office at all levels of U.S. government, so it may come as little surprise that those who identify as or lean Republican have a heightened sensitivity to the state of the nation’s moral fabric. But a majority of Democrats and Democratic-leaning independents, too, say the state of moral values is declining,” Mr. McCarthy noted.
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“While Americans point to many ways in which they see the country’s morals getting worse, they are most likely to say they see a decline in U.S. standards and a lack of respect for one another, as well as poor values instilled by parents and reflected among government officials,” he added.
FOR THE LEXICON
“I’m an atheist and I vote.”
— New advertising slogan from the Freedom from Religion Foundation to draw attention to “the exploding secular voting demographic” and for the group’s new public campaign “to engage millions of nonreligious voters and ensure the voices of the fastest-growing minority group in America are heard in the 2016 presidential election.”
A WARRIOR SPEAKS ON TRUMP
“Well it’s time, it’s time. I’m going to officially endorse Donald Trump,” Rep. Ryan Zinke — Montana Republican, a 23-year U.S. Navy SEAL and a team leader for SEAL Team Six — told Fox News on Wednesday. The lawmaker did not have a positive commentary on Mr. Trump’s campaign rival, Hillary Clinton.
“Speaking as a former SEAL, we need a commander in chief who will put the troops first, and national security interests first — before raising money for the Clinton Foundation or mishandling classified information, or Benghazi. And the list goes on. We need a commander in chief that puts our interests first and Donald Trump will be that commander in chief,” Mr. Zinke observed.
FOXIFIED
Fox News continues to dominate the competition. The network is ranked No. 3 across all prime-time cable programming, bested only by NBA playoffs on ESPN and TNT. Meanwhile, rival news channels lag far behind, according to Nielsen Media Research numbers.
Fox News drew close to 2 million viewers during the golden prime-time hours. MSNBC ranked 17th on the roster with 775,000 prime-time viewers, while CNN was 18th — averaging 752,000 viewers, the network’s lowest weekly prime-time average in four months.
POLL DU JOUR
• 80 percent of Americans say there is more acceptance of transgender people now than there was 10 years ago; 74 percent of Republicans, 78 percent of independents and 85 percent of Democrats agree.
• 60 percent overall say public restrooms should be male or female, not gender-neutral; 81 percent of Republicans, 60 percent of independents and 53 percent of Democrats agree.
• 44 percent overall say transgender people should follow the sex on their birth certificate when using a public restroom; 69 percent of Republicans, 39 percent of independents and 35 percent of Democrats agree.
• 43 percent overall say transgender people should choose the public restroom according to the sex they “identify” with; 24 percent of Republicans, 47 percent of independents and 56 percent of Democrats agree.
Source: A Marist/WBGH Point Taken poll of 519 U.S. adults conducted May 12-14 and released Wednesday.
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• Jennifer Harper can be reached at jharper@washingtontimes.com.
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