My Friend, the “Lefty”

Over the past few weeks, a well-known conservative news aggregator has repeatedly featured a variation of the following headline: “Lefty Trump Supporter Stuns…” Once I click, I am treated to a video clip or quote from Batya Ungar-Sargon, the deputy opinion editor at Newsweek, defending a policy of President Trump. Invariably, I chuckle.

Why am I laughing? A few months ago, I met Batya. When I saw her at a CPAC conference where my husband was speaking, my instinctive reaction was, frankly, negative. I can’t really explain why. Over the years, Batya has favored political candidates and positions that I opposed, but that is true for millions of Americans who evoke no such response in me.

Recently, Batya has been re-thinking her positions and alliances and, in a shift that probably would have astounded her ten years ago, she is now an articulate supporter of Donald Trump’s policies. Yet, as I’ve read essays she has written for the Free Press over the past year or listened to her speaking, she always rubbed me the wrong way. I often agreed with much of what she was saying, but something didn’t sit right.

Then came Shabbat lunch at the above-mentioned conference. My husband, Batya, and I ended up sitting next to each other. As I expected she was clearly intelligent and knowledgeable, but I had not anticipated how engaging, charming, and unpretentious she would be. My preconceived assumptions didn’t hold up. I’d be delighted to continue the conversation.

Why am I writing about this? Because the opportunities to meet people with whom we disagree and to have honest discussions have shrunk. We increasingly watch, listen to, and read media that affirms our beliefs. The old advice to avoid discussing religion or politics at social gatherings is quaint and obsolete—there is barely any topic or conversation that doesn’t hit a political nerve. Social media and the news amplify the least attractive, most divisive views. It’s easy to extrapolate from there that anyone “on the other side” is disagreeable.

I don’t know what shaped Batya Ungar-Sargon’s ideas and identification as a “lefty,” nor do I know which of her views have changed and which haven’t. I was probably irrationally prejudiced against her. I am sure we align on some issues and differ on others. However, I did appreciate the chance to meet a real person rather than a caricature. “Lefty Trump supporter” makes for good click-bait. The person behind that description is vastly more interesting.

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