Politics, punditry, and parenthood: Living life and through country music - opinion

Herb Keinon's opinion column uses the 2026 Israeli elections as a backdrop to explore how politicians, pundits, and parents are all judged by their worst mistakes rather than their successes. He shares a personal anecdote about a wrong prediction on Donald Trump and cites a novel about parental judgment, framing the reflection through country music lyrics.

Herb Keinon's opinion piece uses the 2026 Israeli elections as a springboard to reflect on how politicians, pundits, and parents are all judged by their worst moments rather than their successes. He argues that in each realm, one mistake can overshadow a long record of good work. Keinon shares a personal anecdote about incorrectly predicting in 2016 that Donald Trump could not win the Republican nomination, a mistake a friend repeatedly brought up. He also cites a passage from Fredrik Backman's novel 'Anxious People' about how parents are defined by their errors. The column is framed through the lens of country music, with the author writing a fictional song chorus that captures the theme: 'Politicians, pundits and parents, one sour note becomes your song.' The piece is a personal reflection rather than a news report on the election.