I know it's contrary to the current obsession with flipping out over everything the loudmouth grifter says, but maybe we should see what his team does (and anybody who thinks the Presidency is a person rather than a large organization with plenty of room for independent decision-making at the second, third, and fourth levels is a fool).
I think he's the most unfit person ever to be elected to the post. But when you sort through all the garbage, there's some key issues there:
Illegal immigration. It is a fundamental attribute of statehood that the state has the power to say who may come and who may stay. Clearly we cannot deport the 11-12 million illegals in the U.S., and equally clearly we need a coherent policy, which we haven't had in decades. The emerging Republican theme from all the chest-thumping and arrant nonsense is "deport the ones who have committed crimes, strengthen the border, then decide the standards for whom we will let in and whom we will let stay, and under what circumstances." It's a debate and a policy that's long overdue. I hope it includes my favorite: make it too costly and risky to employ illegals. That is the single most effective tool to slow down illegal immigration.
Trade deals, NATO, etc. In the wake of WWII, we deliberately shouldered the burden of the defense of the so-called free world, and tried to steer wavering countries into our camp by providing them trade deals that were bad deals for us, allowing them to gouge us in return for their loyalty. Whether that was a good idea or a bad idea is water over the dam. Times have changed, and we have succeeded. The so-called "First World" is solid and prosperous, our dominance is not nearly so great. So it's time to reel in a lot of the freebies and benefits, and put things on a more equal footing. Of course our "friends and allies" will scream like stuck pigs. Nobody wants to give up a benefit, however outdated or undeserved. But our tactic succeeded, and I say if you want to cozy up to Russia or China, good luck with that.
Health care: I never liked Obamacare. The goals were three: full coverage, lower costs, and comparable outcomes. Obamacare didn't even pretend to do the first, made very little dent in the second, and merely maintained the status quo on the third. Overall grade from me: D. We can do better. Have the states do health care. Single-payer, Obama/Romneycare, conservative tax-incentive based programs, mandatory insurance schemes, or just flat out donating health care to those who can't afford it (Wisconsin concluded that was the best choice for Wisconsin's particular mix of needs and resources). Try 'em all, then compare the outcomes. Obamacare was never anything but a guaranteed profit for insurance companies scheme.
The Middle East is a swamp where good intentions, and even good plans, go to die. Go hard on DOUCHE, go hard on Iraq, go hard on Iran, go hard on Afghanistan, whatever. There are no good options, and anything remotely resembling "victory" is simply impossible. We'll muddle through as best we can, as we always have, reactive, forceful, passive, some mix of all the above. The only alternative (of which I approve, but which I recognize ain't gonna happen) is just pull out and let 'er buck.
Jawbs. The car factory employing ten thousand men at good wages has gone the way of the fletcher, the cooper, the cartwright, the sawyer, and the dodo. Ain't coming back. End of. Even if every single "jawb" is brought back to the States, that factory will now employ four hundred men (half of whom will be women), the large majority of them will be college-educated, and their jawb will be supervising the robots. Tariffs are stupid, they never work, they always hurt, and they ain't gonna happen anyway, no matter what the jawboning loudmouth wants.
So endure, and see what happens. The First Lady is mighty easy on the eyes. Focus on that. Get real familiar with the "MUTE" button on your TV.
