The 4th of July Trumpiness.

The inveterate Trumpiness of Trump, by which I mean his apparent inability to ever do the decent thing out of actual decency, can lead his critics to overstate the awfulness of anything he happens to do. Case in point: his planned speech at the D.C. 4th of July celebration.

1. Some folks are aghast that he's renaming it a "Salute to America." It's an entirely unnecessary act, but if we're honest with ourselves, what is our 4th of July celebration except a salute to America? Sure, sure, "independence," but America's independence, not independence in general. And it's not as though we celebrate it now with thoughtful consideration of what independence means, given that our independence as a country isn't remotely threatened. If anything, it's truth in advertising.

2. Even more folks are (or act as if they are) offended at the idea of a president speaking at D.C.'s 4th of July celebration. "It's an inappropriate political act!" they argue. In the hands of Trump, it probably will be. But presidents are not just head of government, a role in which they are a partisan political leader. They are also head of state, a role in which they represent all Americans. Think of Bush at the site of the World Trade Center after 9/11. He made no partisan statement, but simply reflected the shocked sorrow of the country. A president could easily and appropriately play the role of head of state at a 4th of July shindig, avoiding partisanship by sticking to the themes of how fortunate we are to be Americans, to live in a country that is not dominated by others, and how important it is to cherish that freedom and secure it for the next generation. That can all be very trite, but the triteness is what keeps it from being partisan, what makes it group-inclusiveness. Had Obama done it, I doubt these people would have objected that it's inappropriate for a president to do it, or claimed that it's wrong because it's never been done before.

Partisanship blind us, over and over.