Wayne Dockery: The Joker won’t make it great again

Regarding the Jan. 8 news article “Andy Griffith’s hometown hopes Trump will make America great again”: I can partially understand why people who sense cultural dislocation might, out of desperation, choose a candidate who promises a reversion to a perceived better time.

While Mount Airy is a real town with all-too-real problems, its adoption of the Mayberry mantle invites comparison to another fictional town facing difficult times.

Gotham City, rife with crime, bad governance, pollution and a poor mental health system is ripe for change. But would its urban “Aunt Bea” vote for the Joker to “Make Gotham Great Again”?

This story was originally published January 14, 2017 at 6:50 PM with the headline "Wayne Dockery: The Joker won’t make it great again."