Mr. President; Shut Up, Sober Up, and Start Mending Fences

The upcoming election this November is far and away the most monumental in my lifetime.  This nation is at a crossroads and the path we take with our government beginning January of next year will determine the future of generations to come.  I fear our President does not fully comprehend how important he is to this decision.  Oh…I realize that he is convinced that every thought, issue, news story, accomplishment…essentially any daily item of note…has right dead in the center of it a capital “T” glowing in neon orange.  But the fact is…they don’t!   Everything is not about you, Mr. President. 

And if you continue with your careless self-centered rhetoric, sophomoric juvenile behavior, and totally irresponsible tweeting…you run the very real risk of presenting all of your critics (there are many and they are powerful) with an opportunity to take your beloved presidency away this November.  You are bleeding and if the number of cuts continues to rise (as it surely will), you may not survive.   Please come to grips with the position you occupy and its importance to our nation.  Whether we like it or not; he is the man carrying the torch.  May he use it to enlighten; not to inflame. 

Let your deeds speak; not your mouth.  I continue to marvel at the political and policy instincts of Donald Trump.  There have been numerous times when I was certain that he had stepped in it up to his kneecap only to find him coming out shining like a star.  I am still not convinced that most of this good fortune is intentional rather than pure luck; but either way, it somehow seems to work for him.  If he could only learn to trust those instincts, act on those instincts, and then allow the results of those actions to speak for him.  As long as he continues to broadcast a biased play-by-play of his tragic melodrama through the White House looking glass, the benefit of being right on policy is going to be severely mitigated by the downside of his irresponsible behavior.

Give more thought to what you say, how much you say, and when you say it.  A leader must sometimes speak to the moment.  President Trump has had many moments in which to speak and he will have several more before November’s election.  Trump does best when he says the least.  Trump does best when he understates the obvious.  Trump does best when he allows the heat of the moment to pass and then aids the calm after the storm with thoughtful and deliberate language.

Help the nation heal; be empathetic.  Our nation is absolutely asunder with turmoil, angst, partisan venom, racial hyperbole, ailing institutions that are struggling to regain credibility and respect, and the yearning for some sense of national pride that can somehow bring all of our citizens together.  The President has the unique opportunity to speak to these issues.  He owns the premier bully pulpit.  No one expects him to come up with silver bullets to solve difficult issues.  We do, however, expect him to recognize the rips and tears in our culture and society and demonstrate that he understands they exist.  Without promising miracle cures and solutions, simply speaking to the issues is oftentimes adequate.  People are hurting and they earnestly want a President that understands that fact.

Reach out to law enforcement, minority communities brown and black, the military, our government entities, and yes….even the Democrats.  During this election campaign, it will cost Trump little if anything to strike a conciliatory note with many of the factions that he has been at odds with.  He has a solid record on race-related policy and that should be his focus.  He has selected many outstanding people of color to serve in his Administration and they should be spotlighted and empowered to speak to the current issues. 

The President and the military have too many common agendas to allow personalities to disrupt their congeniality.  Talk to the generals behind closed doors and mend your fences.  The President and our military need each other and they sorely need to find a way to make it work better between them. 

AG Barr can restore dignity, respect, and credibility to law enforcement in our government.  He can also lead the fight to institute some badly needed reforms to our law enforcement entities at the state and community levels.  Let the Attorney General tackle this thorny issue and give him some latitude and authority to do the job right.  He will not disappoint. 

The paint is on the wall; the score is up there for everyone to see; and the chickens are coming home to roost…in flocks.  The jarring impact of Democratic Party leadership from top to bottom across America is plain to see.  It is a disaster.  There is no need for Trump to embellish it, dwell on it (other than by occasional comparison), or attempt to hammer it into the consciousness of American voters.  Mr. President…take the high road in your approach to the Democrats and let them have sufficient rope to tangle themselves up nicely.  Like the AG, they will not disappoint.

Playing from a position of strength and committing unforced errors is just…well, it is unforgivable.  Donald Trump had the good fortune of running for President against perhaps the most flawed opponent in political history.  He squeaked out a victory over Hillary Clinton.  And now competing for his second term, he is opposed by the barely sentient Joe Biden; whose own party leadership is encouraging him to conduct his campaign from his home basement in order to limit his exposure to the real world.  How lucky can Donald Trump get?  With a modicum of restraint, deliberation, reflection, humility, pragmatism, and simple common sense…Donald Trump will be our next President.  The Democrats cannot defeat him; only he can defeat himself.

Don’t miss the next post….          Just Google centerlineright.

I greatly fear that the Democratic Party and all of their cohorts in the mainstream media will do everything possible to make this Presidential election a choice between Donald Trump, the man, and Joe Biden, the man.  That is a contest that the Republicans could easily lose.  As shallow and unprincipled as Biden is; Trump can easily be depicted as equally so.  To allow a contest with such profound ramifications to be decided on the least of two evils premise would be a colossal mistake and a denial of what is actually being determined; a false choice indeed.

I am afraid that Trump is so taken by himself that he actually believes he can get Democrats to vote for him.  Yeah, he might get a few; but damn few.  Anyone paying attention must now admit that if Democrats have not yet abandoned their lunatic leadership for a more rational path, it simply is not going to happen.  They will clearly follow their Party over the proverbial cliff if it somehow validates their hatred for all things Trump.  If Trump is to win, he must win in the critical Mid-Western states and he must win by modestly increasing his percentage of black votes and Hispanic votes.  This he can do.  It is within reach.  The Democrats’ votes are not and I fear the female vote might also be chiseled in stone…and not to Trump’s advantage.  FWIW…check on the temperature of that Mid-West race here: https://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2020/06/22/pollster_who_got_it_right_in_2016_michigan_a_dead_heat__143512.html .

Read about how close the last Presidential election was here: https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/weekly-standard/the-election-came-down-to-77-744-votes-in-pennsylvania-wisconsin-and-michigan-updated .  There is no reason to think it will be much different this time around.  The mainstream media will be even more determined to defeat Trump at all costs.  The Democratic Party is even more united in their unnatural hatred for Trump.  The coronavirus pandemic will provide cover for various manners of election manipulation; especially the mail-in ballot initiative.  And of course, recent events in our federal judiciary give little reason for confidence in any ruling of theirs that might come into play.  The Democrats can embrace the national polls that show Biden comfortably ahead of Trump.  The Republicans can proclaim the enthusiasm gap that is so obvious by comparing the Trump rallies with the lukewarm Democratic confidence in Biden.  Neither side has anything to hang their political hats on.  As of this moment, the November Presidential Election is truly up in the air.

President Trump has to somehow learn to become President “t”rump.  He must contrast his policies and accomplishments over the last three plus years with what we have seen in areas ruled by the Democratic Party.  Give Americans credit for using their common sense to choose between the nation envisioned by Pelosi, Schumer, AOC, and the other assorted nuts and clowns that populate Democratic leadership these days and the Trump record over his first term as President.  This bunch of Democratic, hypocritical, political harlots more resembles bad vaudeville than they do responsible statesmanship. 

In spite of a stacked deck against him and a level of persecution heretofore unrivaled by any sitting President, Trump seems to have finally realized how to accomplish something by utilizing the awesome power of the Executive Branch.  Given another four years with a Republican Senate and, at a minimum, maintaining the status quo in the House; President Trump could move this nation back towards its founding principles in a way that will last for generations to come.  And if he can somehow manage to find a new respect and dignified approach in how he treats his appointees, President Trump could restore some credibility and trust to many government departments and agencies that frankly have lost their way. 

Can President Trump subjugate his monstrous ego to the greater good of principled government?  Can he resist the constant baiting and provocation that will be coming his way in the campaign months to come without getting down in the mud with his critics and opponents?  Can he somehow come to grips with the irrevocable right and privilege of American voters to decide for themselves who will lead this nation and not yield to his arrogant browbeating of those he considers intellectually inferior to his almighty self?  Can he allow some of the best people money can buy to professionally conduct a presidential campaign that will demonstrate maturity, vision, national pride, and respect for all Americans?  If he can do these things, this nation’s voters will roundly reject the idiotic chaos promoted by the Democratic Party and their liberal leadership.

  

They will vote with their belief in an economy that can work best without undue government regulation; for a justice system that practices fundamental enforcement of the law as it is written; and for a nation that treats its global allies and trading partners with respect, but also holds them accountable for their actions.  I believe they will clearly see that the deep state which has been ingrained and perpetuated for so long in our government is overdue for a deep cleaning.  They are ready for a continuation of the business-like approach to governing that four years of Donald Trump has demonstrated.  They realize that it might have tremendous promise for improving the lives of all citizens.  If Donald Trump, over the next few months, can begin to be the leader we all want him to be and not the juvenile child he sometimes is, perhaps he can lead this nation back towards the ideals of our founding fathers.  He might begin to restore the vitality of our economy that can, in turn, offer opportunities to all people who strive for a better life. 

This is within his grasp.  But so is a devastating and unimaginably crushing defeat to forces that will alter this nation in a way that will make it unrecognizable to our founding fathers and the generations that have kept their faith.  With a few exceptions (examination of his walking habits), his Tulsa speech was a great start.  We can only hope that his better angels take control very soon.