The sleepy little town of Payson is, disturbingly, a microcosm of what I call “Trumpy Land.” We have our own local versions of the national trends: an eager echo chamber, talk radio that sometimes amplifies a single point of view, and political leaders who trade in exaggeration more than facts.
Take our radio station KMOG — it’s long been a central part of Rim Country’s public life, but like media everywhere, local outlets can be used to shape a story as much as report it. Around town you’ll also hear the same chestnuts that fuel the national fever: conspiratorial talk of a “deep state,” an appetite for strongman rhetoric, and a willingness to reduce complex issues to slogans. That’s dangerous in any community — and especially dangerous when people accept it as normal.
Locally, partisan organizers and leaders stoke division and caricature their opponents. For example, longtime county Republican activists remain vocal at Tea Party events and county meetings, helping keep that combative, us-versus-them tone alive. When political life becomes performance instead of problem-solving, the town suffers — not just politically, but socially and economically.
Payson can do better. We’re a community that still has the capacity for civic conversation, neighborliness, and common-sense solutions. Let’s insist on facts, demand accountability from our local leaders and media, and remember that democracy thrives when citizens examine claims instead of repeating them.
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