caption id=attachment_16248 align=alignleft width=480
Trump and Reagan: two patriots championing Americas greatness/caption
Roughly ten months in how is it not presumptuous for anyoneespecially a conservativeto proclaim in print that Donald Trump is no Reagan"? Perhaps Washington Times columnist Robert W. Merry should wait another three years before making any sweeping pronouncements?
Whats Mr. Merrys basis for this flawed and premature conclusion? The failure of the entrenched Republican Congress to repeal and replace Obamacare. After seven years of the establishments broken promises thats the fault of Mitch expectations are too high" McConnell Paul not ready" Ryan and the logjam created by anti-Trump Republicans (read: John McCain and the Washington swamp).
For starters Mr. Merry needs a refresher course in civics 101. Specifically only Congress has the authority to make (or unmake) law. Thats the separation of powers which means the legislative branch is autonomous to any U.S. presidents desires (like campaign pledges). Hence Mr. Merrys claim The Donald is failing to win over the public with bold and clear political messages" is pure hogwash. What of his Reaganesque Make America Great Again" and America First" slogans? For the record Mr. Trump is vigorously accomplishing those aims: with renegotiated trade deals favorable to the U.S.; his exit from the job-killing Paris climate accord; illegal border crossings plummeting by 76 (as reported by the Washington Times); and future changes to tax policy to promote domestic job growth. In every case Mr. Trumps message remains unambiguous and crystal clear. So too are his actions. Put a new GOP health-care bill on his desk guarantees his signature.
Indeed the president has been chopping at the bit since January 20! Why then does Mr. Merry write The fault lies primarily with the president"? Thats a simpletons answer by someone obviously afflicted with Trump Derangement Syndrome". Unfortunately Republican presidents habitually get chastised for events beyond their control. For instance despite successful federal efforts to provide relief to hurricane ravished Puerto Rico mayor Carmen Yuln Cruz outrageously criticizes the president for her failure to distribute boated in supplies! With her city in ruins what else is an incompetent local Democrat to do than pass the buck? Thus for face-saving distractionand the bonus of an anti-Trump narrativethe hard left MSM is happy to advocate propaganda as fact. Thats echoed by Robert Merrys overtly cynical column. Still as hes determined to blame a president for Obamacare why not its namesake: Barack Obama? To that end why not hold the responsibility-phobic Democratic Party accountable for their 2010 takeover of 1/6 of the U.S. economy: with zero Republican support. Thats the unmentioned context for the dysfunctional polarization Mr. Merry blithely glosses over. Its reality predates Mr. Trumps emergence on the political scene by years (if not decades). Therefore how is it fair to blame someone for a systemic problem thats inherited?
In truth the Republican establishment bears equal responsibility with intransigent Democrats. Both groups populate Congress not the White House. Specifically per Reuters the GOPs roughly 60 unsuccessful attempts to repeal or alter Obamacare so far. The fact remains that Republicans have held control of both houses since January 3 2015. Therefore their repeated failures to change this law is not President Trumps fault. Like Mr. Reagan he must work within the framework of the Constitutionand the inert personalities of career politicians more interested in playing politics than getting positive results for the American people.
Ultimately the underlying conflict unrecognized by Mr. Merry is one of style over substance. One suspects he would be content with a soft-spoken RINO (Republican In Name Only) like Mitt Romney or a go along to get along establishment figure like Jeb Bush. Or perhaps a fresh-faced dreamer parroting idealistic platitudes designed to pacify the most sensitive among us but accomplishing little beyond pretty PR (read: Paul Ryan). Fortunately none of those people reside in the Oval Office. The real question here is can Donald Trump act as a 21st century Ronald Reagan while not embodying The Great Communicators" particular gifts to persuade with charismatic warmth and often pointed humor? That answer to the open minded is of course yes! As a case in point the same edition of the Washington Times reported: Banishing red tape: Trump the least regulatory president since Reagan study finds". So theres proof that a certain old guard prognosticator cant ignore. Any person so stuck in ways of the past cannot embrace an evolving present. For this Robert Merry should be pitied but not heeded.
To some Donald Trumps unconventional styleas a plain-speaking brassy New Yorkeris disconcerting. But its actually a strength that will likely checkmate those who would do our nation serious harm. Our continued survival is frankly aided by the new paradigm of his unpredictability. Whats needed now is this deal making brawler to be his own man as Reagan was. Not another polished weak-kneed elitist offering a failed past as prologue.
Trump and Reagan: two patriots championing Americas greatness/caption
Roughly ten months in how is it not presumptuous for anyoneespecially a conservativeto proclaim in print that Donald Trump is no Reagan"? Perhaps Washington Times columnist Robert W. Merry should wait another three years before making any sweeping pronouncements?
Whats Mr. Merrys basis for this flawed and premature conclusion? The failure of the entrenched Republican Congress to repeal and replace Obamacare. After seven years of the establishments broken promises thats the fault of Mitch expectations are too high" McConnell Paul not ready" Ryan and the logjam created by anti-Trump Republicans (read: John McCain and the Washington swamp).
For starters Mr. Merry needs a refresher course in civics 101. Specifically only Congress has the authority to make (or unmake) law. Thats the separation of powers which means the legislative branch is autonomous to any U.S. presidents desires (like campaign pledges). Hence Mr. Merrys claim The Donald is failing to win over the public with bold and clear political messages" is pure hogwash. What of his Reaganesque Make America Great Again" and America First" slogans? For the record Mr. Trump is vigorously accomplishing those aims: with renegotiated trade deals favorable to the U.S.; his exit from the job-killing Paris climate accord; illegal border crossings plummeting by 76 (as reported by the Washington Times); and future changes to tax policy to promote domestic job growth. In every case Mr. Trumps message remains unambiguous and crystal clear. So too are his actions. Put a new GOP health-care bill on his desk guarantees his signature.
Indeed the president has been chopping at the bit since January 20! Why then does Mr. Merry write The fault lies primarily with the president"? Thats a simpletons answer by someone obviously afflicted with Trump Derangement Syndrome". Unfortunately Republican presidents habitually get chastised for events beyond their control. For instance despite successful federal efforts to provide relief to hurricane ravished Puerto Rico mayor Carmen Yuln Cruz outrageously criticizes the president for her failure to distribute boated in supplies! With her city in ruins what else is an incompetent local Democrat to do than pass the buck? Thus for face-saving distractionand the bonus of an anti-Trump narrativethe hard left MSM is happy to advocate propaganda as fact. Thats echoed by Robert Merrys overtly cynical column. Still as hes determined to blame a president for Obamacare why not its namesake: Barack Obama? To that end why not hold the responsibility-phobic Democratic Party accountable for their 2010 takeover of 1/6 of the U.S. economy: with zero Republican support. Thats the unmentioned context for the dysfunctional polarization Mr. Merry blithely glosses over. Its reality predates Mr. Trumps emergence on the political scene by years (if not decades). Therefore how is it fair to blame someone for a systemic problem thats inherited?
In truth the Republican establishment bears equal responsibility with intransigent Democrats. Both groups populate Congress not the White House. Specifically per Reuters the GOPs roughly 60 unsuccessful attempts to repeal or alter Obamacare so far. The fact remains that Republicans have held control of both houses since January 3 2015. Therefore their repeated failures to change this law is not President Trumps fault. Like Mr. Reagan he must work within the framework of the Constitutionand the inert personalities of career politicians more interested in playing politics than getting positive results for the American people.
Ultimately the underlying conflict unrecognized by Mr. Merry is one of style over substance. One suspects he would be content with a soft-spoken RINO (Republican In Name Only) like Mitt Romney or a go along to get along establishment figure like Jeb Bush. Or perhaps a fresh-faced dreamer parroting idealistic platitudes designed to pacify the most sensitive among us but accomplishing little beyond pretty PR (read: Paul Ryan). Fortunately none of those people reside in the Oval Office. The real question here is can Donald Trump act as a 21st century Ronald Reagan while not embodying The Great Communicators" particular gifts to persuade with charismatic warmth and often pointed humor? That answer to the open minded is of course yes! As a case in point the same edition of the Washington Times reported: Banishing red tape: Trump the least regulatory president since Reagan study finds". So theres proof that a certain old guard prognosticator cant ignore. Any person so stuck in ways of the past cannot embrace an evolving present. For this Robert Merry should be pitied but not heeded.
To some Donald Trumps unconventional styleas a plain-speaking brassy New Yorkeris disconcerting. But its actually a strength that will likely checkmate those who would do our nation serious harm. Our continued survival is frankly aided by the new paradigm of his unpredictability. Whats needed now is this deal making brawler to be his own man as Reagan was. Not another polished weak-kneed elitist offering a failed past as prologue.
David L. Hunter is an Associate Editor at Capitol Hill Outsider. Hes on Twitter and blogs at davidlhunter.blogspot.com. He is published in The Washington Post The Washington Times FrontPage Mag and extensively in Patriot Post Canada Free Press and American Thinker.