For Republicans, Has the Proverbial Ship Sailed?

Fed up with our past ridiculous president Obama and his uber-liberal bent, this nation’s voters eschewed “Obama the Sequel, featuring Hillary” for a loudmouth, TV reality personality.  Donald Trump swept into WDC with a Republican majority in the Senate and the House and a jubilant Grand Ole Party full of itself and big ideals. 

Now, after sitting in the big chairs for nearly nine months, the Republican Party has basically disowned Trump, engaged in schizophrenic policy behavior, destroyed any public confidence in its ability to govern effectively, and quite possibly thrown away a golden opportunity to make sweeping and fundamental changes in our government.  Has the door completely shut on Republican chances to reform health care and our tax system? ... Probably not.  However, there can be little doubt that when John McCain openly indulged in excessive self-esteem, personal grandstanding, and naked arrogance by casting his vote against the Republican health care legislation; the Republicans lost their chance to exclusively rewrite this country’s massively flawed health care system.   And now, on the heels of the Donald’s much discussed deal with “Chuck and Nancy”, the breech between the Republican Party Leadership and this Republican President seems wide and widening. 

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I have written many times before that I believe Donald Trump to be much more liberal-at-heart than he is conservative.  Once again, I urge anyone who doubts that statement to review Trump’s public life leading up to his quest for the Republican Presidential nomination.  And as liberal as Trump sounded then, his family members who apparently are maintaining positions of authority and influence in this White House, are even more liberal than he is.  Now the devil’s advocate might argue that based on his judicial nominees and his administration appointments, Trump has exhibited a conservative tilt.  This is true; but a closer examination might reveal a crack or two in that theory.  Trump’s corporate background and raising gives him a natural disposition against overt government intervention into the private sector.  The last thing a CEO wants is a federal judge telling his or her company how they should operate.  It is natural for a capitalist to desire strict constructionists in the courts.  And if you look closely at some of the Trump administration appointments, they have pretty strong liberal leanings in many areas.  Militarily and judicially, his selections show a conservative leaning; but is that a political call or a personal call?  I submit that it has much less to do with politics than it has to do with his personal belief that government should be small, non-intrusive, and predictable while the U.S.A. should be the strongest military presence on the planet and carry a big, big stick.   It might be revealing to note that the overwhelming majority of people leaving this Administration are rightists.  Now some them may be less than desirable to begin with, but the point is that the conservative power base in the White House is not strengthening; it is shrinking.

We shall see how this “Chuck and Nancy” kabuki dance plays out, but it may well prove to be the point where the centrist/liberal Trump came to the front and the conservative Trump mask was dropped to the floor.  For all of their supposed political wizardry, McConnell and Ryan may have frittered away their single best opportunity to influence America.  One thing is beyond debate; the middle point in the conservative versus liberal debate in Congress has been shifted to the left.   If Schumer and Pelosi are smart, they will seize this opportunity to maximize their position as a minority legislative party with a sympathetic President.  It is far from certain that they are that smart; but it will certainly be interesting to watch it play out.