12-24-2016, 02:24 AM
(12-23-2016, 11:43 PM)Bengalzona Wrote: I think this all falls in line nice and neat with conservative ideology. Conservatives feel the POTUS position has too much power and that real decisions should be made by Congress. Many on the Right are not embarrassed at all that Trump acts like a buffoon. In a lot of ways, that resembles Reagan's presidency. Except that Reagan actually did have some talented and competent staff members.
You are cool under fire, B-zona.
At one level, Reagan makes a good comparison. He was as ignorant of history and other cultures as Trump, and his foreign policy was deformed by his anti-communism. We feel the effects today in the form of refugees from Central America on our borders. He was an actor who favored the rich, and the present wealth gap opened under his policies.
But he was also a two-term governor of our largest state. He served in the military during WW2, as did other actors of that generation, and like them, was a product of the culture of service and sacrifice that put community and country over individual needs. Further, he had a sense of public decorum, of the dignity of his office. He picked some good advisors, and listened to them. He could never be played by a foreign power. I can't see him publicly calling women pigs and the press scum, talking of killing wives and children of terrorists, torture, and nuclear proliferation. His generation would have been shocked to their socks to see Trump parading Clinton accusers before a national, presidential debate. They would not accept the bragging and ostentatious display of wealth.
Yes, many on the right are not embarrassed we have a president elect who does all those things, and lacks Reagan's self control and decorum and previous experience governing. He will take office in a more difficult and complicated world, with an extreme right wing Congress behind him. That he was elected means a large enough portion of the electorate was not bothered by his poor judgment and lack of decorum, having heard for decades now that "elites" are the problem. That is a disturbing change in the national character. It's like a resurgence of everything that was bad about the era of segregation without the redeeming, self-sacrificing discipline of the WW2 generation.
Traditional conservatives have liked limited presidential power, yes, but neocons think otherwise. Cheney for example pushed the doctrine of the unitary executive, which argues the president can set aside laws which limit his power over national security. Trump will have neocons buzzing in his ear. Perhaps traditional conservatives feel Pence is the balance. The buffoonery and national embarrassment a price paid for Supreme Court appointments and the chance to take care of Medicare and social security, and to roll back environmental regulation.
But I think this will be a much rougher ride than Reagan. Trump seems convinced governing will be like making a deal or The Apprentice. The coarse persona and breeches of decorum will create rather than shut down opportunities. In foreign policy, for sure, it won't be like that. The destabilizing messages that daily emanate from Trump tower may be buffoonery to us, but I think they are steadily undermining confidence in the US diplomacy abroad. This will force allies to seek other security options and enemies to see new opportunities.
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