geez, Richard! Now who's being negative and fatalistic? Trump had a good four years. He did many good things. Best of all perhaps -- and the reason the economy took off -- was his speedy neutering of the EPA, which had become a rogue agency under Obama. I see no reason why Trump shouldn't have learned stuff in his first four years and will have an even better four years if -- Baruch ha'Shem -- he gets in again.
Thanks for a great comment. Fierce has always been your best look as a writer!!
I also thought Trump had an excellent first term. Far from being. a liar he fulfilled more campaign promises than any President I can remember. I will almost certainly vote for him.
But the bad thing he does, and will continue to do ,is to make the Republican Party even stupider.
It is not all his doing. Like so many leaders he has gathered followers who are far inferior to him but keep trying to be like him in their inadequate way and so to badly what he does well.
Now there is little left of Trumpism in the GOP beyond protectionism and anger and cult loyalty. Note that all the dumbest protectionist measures came after Trump. For Trump protectionism was a way to a deal. The Trumpist GOP does not even want a deal. They think they can beat China by not dealing with the Chinese, which is beyond stupid.
Gingrich's book on China, so obviously intended as a way to suck up to Trump, says stupider things abut China than Trump has ever thought. And while Trump, pursuing the deal, speaks for effect, Gingrich seems to really believe the nonsense he spouts. His followers are multiple steps behind him, but doing real damage to the country.
As for the Green stuff, Trump is better than average. He did pull out of the Paris deal for which he deserves great praise. By it's like the old Republican way of doing something that actually makes sense as policy, but then refusing to own it and advocate for. it, or even to lie about the reasons. Why not say "I pulled out of Paris because global warming is an anti-American, socialist con job, about as scientific as the 22 genders'" If he said it, his followers would believe him. They might even do something about the propaganda their kids are getting in school.
I was raised (sitting under the couch listening) among the Jewish professor salons of Ann Arbor, Michigan where what gentiles, Lutherans, Norwegians of the MidWest call arguing was normal evening recreation. There was shouting but there was a lot of laughing too
Years ago, decades actually, we had dinner with David Brooks's mom. We eventually got around to asking her how she came to marry a Protestant. She said, 'well he was so exotic. It was the first time I ever knew someone who yelled only when he was angry." My family, emigrants from Bensonhurst, resembled that remark.
geez, Richard! Now who's being negative and fatalistic? Trump had a good four years. He did many good things. Best of all perhaps -- and the reason the economy took off -- was his speedy neutering of the EPA, which had become a rogue agency under Obama. I see no reason why Trump shouldn't have learned stuff in his first four years and will have an even better four years if -- Baruch ha'Shem -- he gets in again.
Thanks for a great comment. Fierce has always been your best look as a writer!!
I also thought Trump had an excellent first term. Far from being. a liar he fulfilled more campaign promises than any President I can remember. I will almost certainly vote for him.
But the bad thing he does, and will continue to do ,is to make the Republican Party even stupider.
It is not all his doing. Like so many leaders he has gathered followers who are far inferior to him but keep trying to be like him in their inadequate way and so to badly what he does well.
Now there is little left of Trumpism in the GOP beyond protectionism and anger and cult loyalty. Note that all the dumbest protectionist measures came after Trump. For Trump protectionism was a way to a deal. The Trumpist GOP does not even want a deal. They think they can beat China by not dealing with the Chinese, which is beyond stupid.
Gingrich's book on China, so obviously intended as a way to suck up to Trump, says stupider things abut China than Trump has ever thought. And while Trump, pursuing the deal, speaks for effect, Gingrich seems to really believe the nonsense he spouts. His followers are multiple steps behind him, but doing real damage to the country.
As for the Green stuff, Trump is better than average. He did pull out of the Paris deal for which he deserves great praise. By it's like the old Republican way of doing something that actually makes sense as policy, but then refusing to own it and advocate for. it, or even to lie about the reasons. Why not say "I pulled out of Paris because global warming is an anti-American, socialist con job, about as scientific as the 22 genders'" If he said it, his followers would believe him. They might even do something about the propaganda their kids are getting in school.
Best.
R
I was raised (sitting under the couch listening) among the Jewish professor salons of Ann Arbor, Michigan where what gentiles, Lutherans, Norwegians of the MidWest call arguing was normal evening recreation. There was shouting but there was a lot of laughing too
Years ago, decades actually, we had dinner with David Brooks's mom. We eventually got around to asking her how she came to marry a Protestant. She said, 'well he was so exotic. It was the first time I ever knew someone who yelled only when he was angry." My family, emigrants from Bensonhurst, resembled that remark.