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Wednesday, November 23, 2016

A LITTLE UNSOLICITED ADVICE FOR OUR PRESIDENT-ELECT…


As I have likely said before, not that it makes much difference at this point, when the process of electing a new president first began, a process that seems to have gone on for far longer than it really has, I was pretty firmly in the camp of Ted Cruz.  But as the campaign continued and it became obvious that Trump was going to be more than just a flash in the pan, the change that came about in both Cruz’s demeanor, as well as his tactics, caused to me to question by decision to support him.  That said, I did vote for him in my state’s primary while the other two members of my immediate family went with Trump.  And as time went by and 17 was reduced to 15 then to 12 and to 3 then 2 and finally to 1 candidate, I was then forced into a decision that I never thought I would be making.  And since I could not imagine myself sitting out what I still see as the most important election in my lifetime, I chose to, still somewhat reluctantly, to climb on board the ‘Trump Train.’

Now with all the being said, while I do not regret my decision to do so, my biggest issue with Trump then, remains my biggest issue still.  And that is the issue of trust.  We have had a president for the last eight year who, time after time after time, gave us reason after reason not to trust him.  And in candidate Trump I was looking for someone who I could, and without any reservation, bring myself to trust.  And I want to be able to trust Mr. Trump to do the things that he said he would do.  Now I’m not naïve enough to think that he’ll be able to do everything, but he must do all that he can.  So if Mr. Trump, chooses not to keep the promises he made to those who supported him throughout his campaign, or fails to continue to rid the country of political correctness and the liberal initiatives, then he will be a one term president because his supporters, including myself, will abandon him as just another establishment type who blew smoke to the American people.

Trust me when I say that I want nothing more than to see President Trump succeed, and to succeed in a very big way.  Actually, mere words cannot describe how much I want him to succeed.  And as word has now come that he doesn’t intend on prosecuting Hitlery, while I disagree with his decision, I can, in a way, understand it.  But he needs to understand this, that he has now gotten the only ‘freebee’ that he’s going to be getting from me, and he hasn’t even been sworn in yet.  Granted, I’m pretty sure that Mr. Trump would be unlikely to consider me as being someone who he needs to be taking advice from, but I’ve never been shy when it comes to handing out free advice.  However, it was millions like myself who made it possible for Mr. Trump to win and it is us with whom he needs to make sure to follow through.  He ran as being an outsider, and he needs to remain true to that outsider philosophy.  So it’s to our President-elect that I would just like to say:

1. Relax. The campaign is over.  And it was pretty brutal, pretty much from start to finish.  But it's over now; you won, and won against what many had said were some pretty formidable odds. The entire establishment was arrayed against you and did everything they could to vilify you.  Regarding the ‘Establishment Republicans’, you were viewed as being a direct threat to their fiefdoms, so they were compelled to try to destroy you.  When they failed, most headed for the tall grass rather than to support you, and now, of course, it’s quite the different story.  So make 'em squirm.

And then we have the Democrat establishment types.  Even better.  Because when the swamp is finally drained, they're headed down the commode with the rest of the sewage, and they know it.  Enjoy the scene.  Relish it.  It will be like something out of "Night of the Living Dead," except in this case the zombies that have been feasting on America will be headed over a cliff.

Hollywood?  Academia?  They won't be able to build safe spaces fast enough, or large enough for this pathetic crowd.  In fact, they'll probably come to you for infrastructure funding.  Resist.  Suggest they work out their aggressions with therapeutic wall-building.

2. Laugh.  Because there is nothing that infuriates those on the left more than to see someone who not only is not intimidated by them but also bursts out laughing at them whenever attacked.  So do it and watch your popularity soar.  It won't be just that supposedly "angry" base that will chuckle along.  This will transcend your base.  Your political enemies in Washington will attack you viciously and personally.  Don't take the bait.  Go Reagan and laugh at them.  You will bring millions to your side.  The enemy of my enemy is my friend, especially when my friend is ridiculing my enemy.

3. Pick and choose your TV spots.  Barry “Almighty” could safely navigate TV at will because the entertainment industry unanimously slobbered all over him, unlike any president in modern history. Trust me when I say that that ain't gonna happen with you.  The Stephen Colberts and Bill Mahers despise you and will low-blow you at every opportunity.  Refuse their invitations for appearances.  More importantly, demand that no one in your administration give these leftists the time of day.  That said, there are those in that industry who will poke fun at you without the ugly edge — Jimmy Fallon, Jimmy Kimmel, etc.  You've shown a thick skin with them.  Keep it up. Take a page from President George H. W. Bush.  No one laughed harder at Dana Carvey's devastating impersonation of him, and that was at the White House with Carvey as his guest.

4. And please, stop tweeting!  You were right to say that tweeting is a terrific way to communicate directly with the American people. You showed your marketing brilliance by employing this weapon before anyone.  It worked beautifully for you.  But enough already.  You're the president-elect now. It's so beneath the office!  It's sad!  The public expects leadership and gravitas.  It could be embarrassing! You don't need to use this medium.  It's unnecessary!  When you need to say something formally, let your staff release a statement.  Want to personalize that statement? Conduct an interview. You'll never disappoint.

5. Pay attention to the experts — NOT. The editors at The New York Times and the Washington Post have serious thoughts on the direction your administration should take. There are profound ideas coming from seasoned political observers at PBS and NPR.  I know it doesn't appear this way, but the anchors (and producers and reporters and executives) at NBC, ABC and CBS do want to help.  By all means, have them in for a chat.  Hear them out. Then laugh out loud while you throw them out.  Watch as they pull out their cellphones on the sidewalk to furiously tweet their feelings to the world: "@realDonaldTrump hurt our feelings! #needasafespace! #whereismygriefcounselor? Sad!"

And finally I would like to offer just one final suggestion to our President-elect:

6.  You were elected primarily on the basis of being a POLITICAL OUTSIDER, and by choosing now not to follow through with the promise to prosecute the Clinton Mob, you're likely to end up looking like a - POLITICAL INSIDER.  And like I said earlier, while I disagree with the decision, I guess I can understand it.  But there is most definitely a limit to my generosity, and the millions of those like me, and it would be wise to keep that in mind.  The ball is now in your court.  We will be watching, we have put all our faith in you, and we have some pretty high expectations. 

So, for whatever it’s worth, that’s all I have to say.  Expectations are now very high for President Trump, at least from those of us who voted for him.  After eight years of Barry ‘O’, Mr. Trump now has a very long way to go and relatively short time to get there.  So it will be important for him to hit the deck running.  Because if he hasn’t made what voters will come to judge as significant progress within the next two years, or when the next midterm elections roll around, he can fully expect to see the Republicans lose control of one or perhaps both houses of Congress.  So he needs to get on the stick right out of the gate and drag, kicking and screaming if necessary, his Republican majorities in Congress right along with him.  Time is of the absolute essence and he has quite the mess to clean up.  Barry once said that it was the Republicans who had put America in the ditch, well if that’s the case, Barry has buried us up to our collective neck in quicksand.  And we’re sinking fast.

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