The election of Donald Trump to the highest office in land (world?) surprised me as much as it did any liberal talking head on election night 2016. I gave him no hope to get the Republican nomination and less than no hope of beating Hillary Clinton in the race to the White House. I was wrong. I have spent the last few weeks digesting both that last statement and the consequences of Trump’s ascendency.
I don’t think I underestimated Donald Trump. He was (is?) a loud mouth boor. He is juvenile at times, crass, and does not think before he speaks. Those qualities alone, given the hostile attitude of the majority of American press towards him, should have killed any chance he had of advancing past a few early primary victories. But here he is less than 60 days from being sworn in. So where did I err?
I underestimated the American people, specifically the working class Democrats and unaffiliated. I don’t know how I did it. Look to the right of the blog and read these words I wrote 2-3 years ago in my blog description
“I think the Democrat Party has been taken over by America haters, career victims, and those who believe that the federal government should be your daddy.”
It has and a lot of people, many, many, more than I gave credit to, came to that same conclusion. Hillary Clinton did not represent them. They get up each morning, go to work (or look for work), and try to be the best American they can. They see Black Lives Matter all but call for the assassination of police, they see Hillary (& Obama) talk about actively shutting down the US Coal industry, they see college students demanding free tuition, safe spaces, and the right to shout down opposition thought, but scream for diversity at the same time.
They see the pre-ordained successor to Obama’s throne tell Congress “What difference does it make?” when Americans die overseas. The news is filled with Pay for Play scandals involving the Clinton Foundation and The Clinton Global Initiative. They see members of the IRS actively harassing Americans just because they have a different political philosophy.
They see all of that, and see the leaders of the Democratic Party nod their head in agreement. They ask themselves, deep down, “Is this what I believe?”
I don’t think I underestimated Donald Trump. He was (is?) a loud mouth boor. He is juvenile at times, crass, and does not think before he speaks. Those qualities alone, given the hostile attitude of the majority of American press towards him, should have killed any chance he had of advancing past a few early primary victories. But here he is less than 60 days from being sworn in. So where did I err?
I underestimated the American people, specifically the working class Democrats and unaffiliated. I don’t know how I did it. Look to the right of the blog and read these words I wrote 2-3 years ago in my blog description
“I think the Democrat Party has been taken over by America haters, career victims, and those who believe that the federal government should be your daddy.”
It has and a lot of people, many, many, more than I gave credit to, came to that same conclusion. Hillary Clinton did not represent them. They get up each morning, go to work (or look for work), and try to be the best American they can. They see Black Lives Matter all but call for the assassination of police, they see Hillary (& Obama) talk about actively shutting down the US Coal industry, they see college students demanding free tuition, safe spaces, and the right to shout down opposition thought, but scream for diversity at the same time.
They see the pre-ordained successor to Obama’s throne tell Congress “What difference does it make?” when Americans die overseas. The news is filled with Pay for Play scandals involving the Clinton Foundation and The Clinton Global Initiative. They see members of the IRS actively harassing Americans just because they have a different political philosophy.
They see all of that, and see the leaders of the Democratic Party nod their head in agreement. They ask themselves, deep down, “Is this what I believe?”
Then along comes Donald Trump. He calls these people names. He says he is going to “Make America Great Again”. He is going to drain the swamp. He tells Hillary, to her face, that “you would be in jail” if we were in charge of the justice system.
A lot of people cheered. A lot more smiled on the inside. A lot of unaffiliated thought “Why not give Trump a chance”. A lot of Democrats thought the same thing, longing for the days of JFK, when the Democratic Party stood for the working man. And that jobs, not bathrooms were the most important thing in their platform. They voted. Trump won. Now what?
I have read a lot of conservative opinion in the last two weeks. They one thing that scares me is that they all seem to think that the man formally known as “The Donald” is a hard charging conservative, and the second coming of Ronald Reagan. If he is, he has both big shoes to fill and a short time to begin proving it.
Obama has left a long list of things that can be done or undone, with help from Congress. There is the Keystone Pipeline. Rubber stamp that thing on January 21st. The Democrats and unaffiliated will love him because it creates union jobs. The Republicans have been clamoring for it for most of a decade. Win/Win. The environmental will hate him, but he has as much chance of winning their vote as Donna Brazil has of getting a job with The National Review.
Appoint a truly conservative to the vacancy on the Supreme Court. If Democrats in the Senate balk, remind them that the filibuster rule had not only been abused by the Democrats (suspending its use for confirmation of Federal Judges), but is a Senate procedural vehicle, whose wheels can be yanked off with a majority vote.
Suspend the Iran Nuclear Deal. This one maybe more symbolic, as the Iranians had the deal front loaded. But the renewal of US sanctions and a hard line stand with our allies can start putting the pressure back on this terrorist harbor.
Appoint a Congressional Task Force, with both Democrats and Republicans to come up with a plan to replace the disaster which is ObamaCare. Then task Congress to implement it. Our new president is not afraid to call out anyone, and if he gets the American people behind him through his rhetoric and grandstanding, Congress will do his bidding.
A least half keep the promises you made during the election campaign. Deport every illegal alien who is arrested for any crime more serious than drunk driving. Give ICE the manpower to put pressure on sanctuary cities and remind them that the Supreme Court has already ruled that the Federal government, not they, make immigration policy.
Either appoint a prosecutor and go after Hillary, or issue her a pardon. It will kill her political career either way, and that would be the best thing for the country and the worst punishment she could imagine. When the first female president is elected, our country deserves someone better than someone so amoral as to trivialize and lie about, the death her own employees in Libya, attack women abused by her husband, and solicit money for access to our government, all with goal of being able to rule (not govern, to be sure) over all of us.
I am rooting for President Trump. I voted for him, albeit grudgingly, and I am going to keep a careful watch over what he does. I plan to ignore most of what he says, because I doubt the Oval Office comes equipped with a muzzle. But, he has been placed in a unique position in American history. If he is the man he campaigned as, we have a chance. If he is just another egoist using the presidency as the ultimate high, he will be a one term president with an even lower approval rating than Nixon. Then we wait for the next savior, as we slide further down the slope to financial and societal ruin.
God Bless America and God help Donald Trump
A lot of people cheered. A lot more smiled on the inside. A lot of unaffiliated thought “Why not give Trump a chance”. A lot of Democrats thought the same thing, longing for the days of JFK, when the Democratic Party stood for the working man. And that jobs, not bathrooms were the most important thing in their platform. They voted. Trump won. Now what?
I have read a lot of conservative opinion in the last two weeks. They one thing that scares me is that they all seem to think that the man formally known as “The Donald” is a hard charging conservative, and the second coming of Ronald Reagan. If he is, he has both big shoes to fill and a short time to begin proving it.
Obama has left a long list of things that can be done or undone, with help from Congress. There is the Keystone Pipeline. Rubber stamp that thing on January 21st. The Democrats and unaffiliated will love him because it creates union jobs. The Republicans have been clamoring for it for most of a decade. Win/Win. The environmental will hate him, but he has as much chance of winning their vote as Donna Brazil has of getting a job with The National Review.
Appoint a truly conservative to the vacancy on the Supreme Court. If Democrats in the Senate balk, remind them that the filibuster rule had not only been abused by the Democrats (suspending its use for confirmation of Federal Judges), but is a Senate procedural vehicle, whose wheels can be yanked off with a majority vote.
Suspend the Iran Nuclear Deal. This one maybe more symbolic, as the Iranians had the deal front loaded. But the renewal of US sanctions and a hard line stand with our allies can start putting the pressure back on this terrorist harbor.
Appoint a Congressional Task Force, with both Democrats and Republicans to come up with a plan to replace the disaster which is ObamaCare. Then task Congress to implement it. Our new president is not afraid to call out anyone, and if he gets the American people behind him through his rhetoric and grandstanding, Congress will do his bidding.
A least half keep the promises you made during the election campaign. Deport every illegal alien who is arrested for any crime more serious than drunk driving. Give ICE the manpower to put pressure on sanctuary cities and remind them that the Supreme Court has already ruled that the Federal government, not they, make immigration policy.
Either appoint a prosecutor and go after Hillary, or issue her a pardon. It will kill her political career either way, and that would be the best thing for the country and the worst punishment she could imagine. When the first female president is elected, our country deserves someone better than someone so amoral as to trivialize and lie about, the death her own employees in Libya, attack women abused by her husband, and solicit money for access to our government, all with goal of being able to rule (not govern, to be sure) over all of us.
I am rooting for President Trump. I voted for him, albeit grudgingly, and I am going to keep a careful watch over what he does. I plan to ignore most of what he says, because I doubt the Oval Office comes equipped with a muzzle. But, he has been placed in a unique position in American history. If he is the man he campaigned as, we have a chance. If he is just another egoist using the presidency as the ultimate high, he will be a one term president with an even lower approval rating than Nixon. Then we wait for the next savior, as we slide further down the slope to financial and societal ruin.
God Bless America and God help Donald Trump
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