While I spent a fair amount of time leading up
to the 2016 National Election discussing politics, including the Democratic and
Republican fields of candidates, and ultimately the two finalists, I have
written less about politics in general, and virtually nothing about the
eventual winner, since the Inauguration. That was a conscious decision, of
course. Moreover, though I do not presage a permanent shift moving forward, I
am making an exception for today.
As we all know, Donald J. Trump is the 45th
President of the United States. And, unless you’ve been in a cave, you know
Saturday marked 100 days of his Presidency. I will not be attempting to
entertain you with some fanciful (and I believe false) narrative that explains
how despite all the less than spectacular assessments of his performance, he
has somehow exceeded expectations. I’ll leave that to Fox and Friends. So if
that’s what you need, or more pointedly, if that’s what you require, I’ve
generously provided a heads up on where you can turn.
Having stipulated that, the President did hold
on to the SCOTUS balance that existed prior to the death of former Associate
Justice Antonin Scalia, with the successful confirmation of Neil Gorsuch. He’s
also rolled back some regulations he maintains help business (though a number
of ordinary Americans view them as anti-consumer). As a candidate #45 made
numerous boasts and promises. Among them was the oft-repeated assertion that we
(the people) would win so much we would become tired of winning. Hold that
thought.
On Saturday, October 22, 2016, Candidate Trump
traveled to Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, the site of the 16th
President’s (Lincoln) most famous speech, to make a pitch of his own. In a
facility named for former President Eisenhower, and on land irrevocably tied to
Lincoln, Trump extolled his vision for the first hundred days of a Trump
Administration. You can click on the final link below to see what he served up.
In this post, I’m going to keep it short, and
much simpler. On the real, here’s what you need to know, vis-à-vis #45 and many of his boastful promises. I understand, fully, that by and large his supporters
couldn’t care less about the things he claimed he’d do, versus those he hasn’t done,
or hasn’t done yet. For you, he’s a jolly good fellow. I get it. For everyone else,
there’s this:
·
As noted earlier, he won…yet
he has not released his taxes
·
Hillary is not in jail
·
Mexico is not paying for the
wall
·
The Muslim ban (or pause, if
you insist) has been rebuffed by the federal judiciary
·
Obamacare has not been
repealed & replaced
·
China has not been labeled a
currency manipulator
·
No plan to destroy ISIS was
produced in 30 days
·
NAFTA has not been overturned…or
renegotiated
·
The U.S. has not withdrawn
from NATO
·
We have not torn up or exited
the Iran Nuclear Agreement
·
The Wall Street-to-Washington
Swamp has not been drained
·
He has not sued all those
female accusers (as far as we know)
I could go on, but hopefully, you get the
point. If you don't, methinks you’re just not trying hard enough. One of Trump’s
frequently used phrases, both as a candidate, and since January 20th,
is, “People are saying.” If you’ll allow me a “What’s good for the goose is
good for the gander” moment, I must note, people are saying the Trump
Administration has been characterized by chaos and incompetence.
In assembling an administrative team composed
largely of individuals who’ve never served at any level, or in any capacity of
government, it is easy to argue that many of his cabinet members are competent,
and frankly ill suited for their current roles. This disconnect, has
consistently led to dissention, disruption, and disorder. Trump surrogates and
supporters push back, insisting that, on one hand, Trump voters wanted someone
who would break the status quo, and on the other hand, that his slow-going is
due to having been a businessman, and not having governmental experience. As
someone who is not guilty of being able to contemplate two distinct, if not
opposing thoughts, at once, I concede both of those things may be true. That
however, does not mean We The People are well served by both…or either. In
fact, our day-to-day experiences, to date, suggest we most certainly are not.
I cited above a list of things Trump has not
done. But every coin has a flip side. In that light, a few things he has done
include:
·
Claimed
his was the largest Inaugural in history. It wasn't.
·
Promised
Ivanka would not serve the country in an official capacity. She does.
·
Insisted
President Obama wiretapped him. He didn’t
Suffice it
to say, neither of these lists is exhaustive. But both are emblematic of the
propensity and frequency with which this President seems to just say things
that, to paraphrase David Broder in a New York Times article, "Are not so much an indication that he isn’t well informed; but that he
is prodigiously learned in the sort of knowledge that doesn’t accord with the
facts of our current dimension." My Star Trek Translator boils that down
to, “That dude lies like a Ferengi.” To be clear, Mr. Broder did not add that
translation.
Who knows?
Perhaps Team Trump will consider this list and re-double its efforts to make it
happen in some cases. I certainly do not expect any of his supporters,
surrogates, or voters to abandon him. I know there is nothing any of that lot
could have said to make me withdraw my support for President Obama when he was
POTUS. I extend kudos to them for their loyalty…even if it is misplaced.
Circling back
to Candidate Trump’s boasts about winning until we get tire of winning, no mas!
I don’t know about you, but if this is winning, I’m tired. That’s pretty much
all I got…”Trump’s First 100 Days: A Plethora ofActivity, A Paucity of Accomplishments (One Man’s View)!"
I’m done; holla back!
Read my blog
anytime by clicking the link: http://thesphinxofcharlotte.com. Find a new post each Wednesday.
To subscribe,
click on Follow in the bottom right hand corner of my Home
Page at http://thesphinxofcharlotte.com; enter your e-mail address in the designated
space, and click on “Sign me up.” Subsequent editions of “Break
It Down” will be mailed to your in-box.
Consult the links below for more
detailed information on a variety of aspects relating to this post:
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment