What Just Happened?

What Just Happened?  Our nation dodged a bullet yesterday (November 8) and chose not to make a terrible mistake by electing Hillary Clinton as our next President.  We can all hope and pray that a mistake was not made in choosing Donald Trump to be our next President.  Although it is clear he was not elected entirely on merit, it is hoped that he will prove worthy of the faith and trust that so many Americans have placed in him to lead our country.

This…..http://centerlineright.blogspot.com/2016/10/darkness-on-edge-of-town.html….is why Donald Trump was elected.  A large, diverse, and heretofore disorganized group of working Americans came together to send a message that they are sick and tired of the way things are and that they…want…change.  We can only hope that Trump has the wisdom, courage, and character to achieve the positive change that so many yearn for and that this nation so desperately needs. 

To loosely quote Michelle Obama…for the first time in my life, I am proud of the American voter.  People who have been financing the opulent lifestyles and swollen egos of the political class in WDC for generations finally stood up and said…ENOUGH.  In rust belt counties where Republicans had become extinct, Donald Trump found support.  In small but significant numbers of minorities, Donald Trump was the hope for a better way.  In large numbers of active voters, Donald Trump was viewed as the lesser of two evils and is being given a chance to deliver on his promises.  With the exception of 2012, many of our last several presidential elections have been “change” elections.  But somehow, someway, and following those elections, the change message got lost in the entrenched power structure of WDC and was quickly forgotten. 

I see two significant differences between those change elections and this one in 2016.  Be he good or be he bad, Donald Trump is certainly different.  He is the consummate political outsider and should come into office with the least amount of political baggage conceivable.  Trump should be able to truly operate with a high degree of independence, from both parties, and although his election win was the product of a clearly divided electorate, he will have the benefit of a Republican House and Senate to further his agenda.  Secondly, Trump will undoubtedly bring a new perspective to the White House.  He is a product of the business and corporate universe and will view the operation of our government as a CEO might view his or her company.  This does not mean that he will automatically improve the efficiency and effectiveness of our government; it simply means he is likely to bring a fresh approach to how government operations are assessed.   These two factors will make the Trump presidency a unique chapter in recent political history and will test the broadly held assumption that WDC is corrupted by Beltway Insiders and needs an Outsider to shake things up. 

Shaking things up, or as Trump likes to call it…draining the swamp…is not necessarily synonymous with successful government.  Clearly a new and more pragmatic approach to government would be welcomed, but the reality is that the powers of the President (no matter how much we tend to over-blame or over-credit him) are limited.  In order to be successful, a President must work with Congress in order to implement policy.   We are getting ready to see a quick demonstration of the frailty that Executive Actions possess.  No doubt, Trump will move quickly to simply eliminate many of Obama’s executive orders with a stroke of his pen.  They were purchased on the cheap and they will end on the cheap.  The temptation will be great for Trump to seize upon the Democrat’s newfound affection for the executive order and begin his own string of autocratic rulings.  This would be a huge mistake and an abandonment of trust with the people who put him in office.  The American people want to see our President and our Congress work together to implement fair and practical policy in the fashion our Constitution envisioned.  And even though the Congress will be controlled by Republicans, the Senate will not be filibuster-proof.  It will be necessary, and proper, for the President and Republican Congressional leaders to deal with the Senate minority leadership in order to facilitate effective legislative function.  And while we do not demand that our leaders compromise on principle, we can expect them to compromise on practice.  While the election clearly put Republicans in charge of our government, people will legitimately expect the concerns of both parties to be reflected in the policies of our government.  The degree of that concern and how it is divvied up will be the game.  One can only hope that Trump’s business experience in the free market will lead him to a pragmatic and reasonable approach in legislating.  Trump has a great opportunity to fill his administration with some of the best and brightest minds among us. Who and how he selects these people will speak volumes to his competence as a President.  What he does not need is a cast of the same old Republicans and Democrats who have been living off the WDC political complex for decades.  It is time for fresh faces, fresh approaches, and bold actions.  Blending these new attitudes with a sufficient amount of experience  to keep the trains running while rerouting the tracks will be quite the challenge.

Donald Trump comes into the White House as a change agent.  He is terribly flawed and has not enjoyed the popular and enthusiastic support that many of his predecessors have.  He has some convincing to do in demonstrating that he has both the character and temperament to be a good President.  He must somehow bridge the chasm between the two political parties in this country.  Once again, American citizens have voted for change.  What…will…that…change…entail?