So... who wrote the NYT op-ed?

[Dill]

(09-11-2018, 12:42 PM)michaelsean Wrote: I think he is saying there are plenty of people, like a whole lot, who are reacting.  It's not necessary for this particular individual to react.  He could start promoting other people who are reacting.  I mean this norm is going to be blown up in a few years, but now he's got precedent.  

Not sure about that.  Again, Obama is not just violating a norm because "Trump did it so now it's ok."

I think part of the reaction to Trump could well be a re-valuation of civility and return to those unwritten norms.  If a Democrat is elected in 2020 and performs reasonably well, I'll bet Bush II remains silent.  Obama too--if an "adult" Republican like Kasich or even Pence were elected.

Not everyone agrees that current situation requires this Obama-style violation, but I do. If Woodward is to be believed, we have a president wandering around the White House barging in on policy discussions to ramble on about Hillary Clinton, as fearful subordinates stroke his ego, pull documents from his desk to prevent their signing, and prevent him from going one-on-one with Mueller.  Over the last 19 months, he has steadily replaced people who reality check him. How can this get better? How will this person perform if we have a real national emergency, like a large scale terrorist attack in DC or New York, a Katrina-scale hurricane on US shores, or a shooting incident on the Korean DMZ? With the stroke of a pen he can scotch or misdirect emergency funds, bomb whom he wants with a phone call. Some still think, somehow, he can be controlled or the government just manages somehow, without direction from the top.