I have been thinking, along with most of you, about the future.

The future of journalism in general and The Indy specifically.

The future of the Nevada economy after the devastation.

The future of campaigns and elections after this shattering period.

As an older guy who is slightly immunosuppressed, I have found my attitude slowly metamorphosing from acceptance of reality to resignation tinged with fear. Yes, I’m worried.

I am afraid not just for the news business, which I love and which will look very different here and everywhere, but for the small businesses that will vanish and never return, for the polarization of our politics that has become even more hopeless during this crisis — and for a social distancing society that may become permanent and emblematic of the growing chasm between the haves and have-nots.

Despite all of this, I find myself uplifted every day by my wonderful staff’s hard work and prodigious output, by the stories of resilient Nevadans during this awful time and by elected officials and candidates who are not using this interregnum to draw attention to themselves to boost their own fortunes. It is a hoary cliché during these times – and we saw it brandished during The Great Recession and 1 October – that people rise to the occasion, that there are always more heroes than villains. But even with so much bad news, I believe it will happen, that people will soar, no capes necessary.

In the meantime, there is utility in cataloguing the good, the bad and the ugly in all of these areas. Let me start by talking about journalism, here and in Washington, D.C.

I have already been transparent about The Indy’s financial situation – we have been crushed by all of this, forcing me to halve the budget and cut staff salaries. I still fret about the future, but the overwhelming outpouring of goodwill and donations has made me optimistic. Hundreds upon hundreds of people have come forth, most of them strangers, to give us an essential infusion. We are not there yet – and I can’t pass up an opportunity to ask for more help – but we are so grateful.

We are hardly alone. The Reno Gazette-Journal has announced furloughs. The Reno News & Review is gone. And rural papers are gutted or shuttered.

This is, alas, only the beginning. This, like most of what is happening now, will get worse before it gets better. And how unfortunate that so many people will not care, not realizing what the loss of reporters or entire media outlets means to communities.

Sure, some in journalism have contributed to the low esteem in which we are held. But President Trump’s constant repetition of “f—e news” and Twitter broadsides at news organizations and reporters have made all of this much more toxic and dangerous.

People need us even if they don’t realize they need us. We are the conduit to the public from government. We do the legwork to confirm and debunk. We try to make even an insane world more comprehensible.

Which brings me to the contrast between the president’s “leadership” during the coronavirus pandemic and that of Gov. Steve Sisolak – and most governors. The chiefest of chief executives, by any objective observation, has only shown his obvious shortcomings in a brighter spotlight by ceding his responsibility as The Reassurer-in-Chief to turn White House briefings into solipsism and braggadocio and accompanied by obnoxious set-tos with reporters asking (mostly) legitimate questions.

Trump, as ever, clearly has done little research, ignored multiple early warnings and shoots from the hip while downplaying the seriousness at the worst possible time – his trying to give Americans hope with an untested drug, like Jude Law in “Contagion,” is obscene and represents his consistent desire to make himself look good and hasten the end of a crisis without regard to science or logic. As he keeps talking about “opening our country,” there is not a scintilla of evidence – his words are meaningless – that he will base the decision on anything but his approval rating.

(I should say as much as I respect most journalists in The White House briefing room, I am appalled at the regular failure to follow up when another’s reporter’s question is not answered or mocked. I know it must be difficult when Trump deflects or changes the subject. But too often, it’s like he is toying with them.)

Contrast what Trump has done with what Sisolak has – and please don’t hector me about this being partisan because the facts are self-evident.

Sisolak acted in mid-March by urging Nevadans to stay home and shortly thereafter shutting down the dominant industry in the state. He has consistently tapped into smart medical minds, which have guided his economic decisions. He brought in the National Guard to handle logistics and administration. He has not created false hope, says he doesn't know when he doesn't know and his compassion for the victims and love for the state are self-evident. He is leading.

Don’t misunderstand: I think Sisolak’s early media availabilities were too scripted and he should have allowed questions, especially when there were so many mixed messages about what businesses were nonessential and details were lacking about broad-brush directives. I think the reporting by the state and counties has been uncoordinated and unpredictable. And some of his decisions – close places of worship unless they are for worshipping the Raiders – are open to dispute.

But Sisolak brings to this crisis what Trump does not: gravitas and authenticity. I know some of his friends and advisers cringe when he gets emotional in public, but that is who he is. He’s not performing as Trump is; he means what he says and he says what he means.

I am sure others have had the same thought as I: What if Adam Laxalt, who lost by only 4 percentage points, had won? He seemed callow and unprepared when he ran, lacking the maturity and gravitas to oversee a state.

The former attorney general, who has continued to spew the same rote talking points as Trump’s campaign chief here and was as obviously unprepared to be a chief executive as the president was, surely would have governed much like his former roommate and now governor of Florida, Ron DeSantis. DeSantis failed to close the beaches or issue a stay at home order for way too long, and I am certain Laxalt would have been dismissive, too, including that the neon lights of Las Vegas Boulevard might still be lit.

I shudder to think what Nevada would be like right now under Gov. Laxalt. It’s as frightening to ponder as anything else out there. Elections matter.

Frankly, I don’t know if Sisolak and the Legislature are up to the long-term task of saving Nevada. I, like all of you, hope so. We will soon find out.

Unfortunately, almost as virulent as COVID-19 during this time are the actions of ankle-biters and hacks – and I acknowledge my lack of patience for such people is at a zenith. Sure, some candidates and elected officials have done better than others in striking a balance between campaigning for a fast-approaching election and being sensitive during a pandemic. But the partisans attacking the governor and his task force – the clown show at the Trump-campaign-run Nevada Republican Party has sent out releases excoriating ex-MGM CEO Jim Murren, even as the volunteer group he heads has raised more than $10 million. To what end, geniuses?

This is dispiriting and sickening, but this kind of event does tend to amplify the best and worst of human behavior. During the coming special legislative session, Sisolak and a Democratic-dominated Gang of 63 will have to make agonizing choices about how to revive a cratered economy. The Republicans generally are irrelevant. But let’s hope the smarter and well-intentioned ones – state Sens. Ben Kieckhefer and Heidi Gansert and Assemblyman Tom Roberts, for instance – are the more persuasive voices in the GOP room.

In a state where Republicans have few important offices, it was heartening to see the lone constitutional officer, GOP Secretary of State Barbara Cegavske, make a very difficult decision that predictably has brought her opprobrium from both sides. Her insistence on a mail-in primary – a method the leader of her party at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue (who votes by mail) has called rife for fraud without any evidence – can be criticized. But it showed leadership to make the unpopular call.

There have been similarly difficult decisions made by big companies, some of them on the Strip, to continue paying their employees while the businesses bleed. And everyone, regardless of party, should applaud Sheldon Adelson for what he has done with his workers and for his importation of much-needed masks. The leaders of Wynn Resorts and Station Casinos also deserve respect and thanks for taking care of their workers. 

Sacrifices are being made amid the chaos and suffering, from people you have heard of and most you have not. Despite my fear and worry, I see most people are staying home for Nevada. And never have I been prouder to call Nevada home.

Jon Ralston is the founder and editor of The Nevada Independent. He has been covering Nevada politics for more than 30 years.