In figure skating's long programs there are two major scoring criteria -- "technical merit" or degree of difficulty of the tricks and "presentation" or style -- the costume, correct back arch, graceful arm movements, skater's synchronization to the music, etc.
Judging President Trump's performance this way gives him high marks on technical merit -- tax reform, deregulation, economic growth, defeating ISIS, employment growth, reforming and restoring international alliances, pushing back on our enemies, immigration law enforcement, restoring a conservative tone to our judicial system, starting to rationalize our healthcare insurance system, etc. But it is on the style front where he receives the most demerits. In fact, many of his critics would prefer to judge him solely on style ... and do. He is petulant, He is self aggrandizing. He demeans his enemies ruthlessly. He is a sexual predator. He is impulsive.
Trump's governance is in stark contrast with his predecessor's ... which was primarily style with few heavy lifts ... most of which, when attempted at all (immigration policies, Obamacare, Iran nuclear deal, restoring robust economic growth, North Korea containment, Paris climate accord, improved race relations, TPP, etc.), were mismashed ... not even a single Salchow. It was Obama's smooth style that won him his fans.
Or to use the Texas slight (and muddle this metaphor), he was all hat and no cattle. Style-less Trump is, in my opinion, all cattle and no hat. If I can't have both, I'll take technical merit over style.
Several of Trump's technical points were simply maintaining the momentum of the previous administration, one that had to engineer recovery from the the disastrous mess he assumed from the previous administration. Other of Trump's technical points are debatable: is deregulation hard to do? Are our international alliances really improved? And is a strict conservative constitutional judiciary in any way progressive?
ReplyDeleteIf deregulation so easy to do, why didn't B.O. Do it? Certainly our relations with Israel, Saudi Arabia, Japam, Egypt, Poland, Hungary, South Korea are better ... even Russia and China? And NATO may not be happier, but they are responding to Trump's criticism.
DeleteI am not sure that the designated shithole countries can spin the latest outreach by DJT to a positive.
DeleteObama did not do deregulation because he did regulation. It takes time and effort to put up stop signs and speed limits, while it takes just a day to tear down all of them.
ReplyDelete"GNP Sped Limit ... 2% per year"
DeleteGDP is the more common metric. Two percent per year is way better than the minus numbers when he took over from Bush and Cheney. Granted that a bit of loosening does let off the brakes but taking down stop signs is overreach. Everyone will go a lot faster and some people will die — that’s the price of unfettered freedoms.
DeleteSo freedoms must be fettered? And I know you know that Bush '43 's sin was not reining ing Barney Frank's idiotic notion of everyone owning a home ... and the Fannie Mae Ponzi scheme that grew out of this insanity.
DeleteAnd i know you know that collateralized debt obligations rated as AAA because the bankers were paying the ratings agencies was not Barney Frank:s doings. Some fetters in both the financial instruments and the rating process would have squelched the FNMA fires
DeleteThe big banks and rating agencies drove the getaway car. Barney and Fannie robbed the bank.
DeleteI cannot speak to Trump's foreign policy status because I cannot use any source for information other than Fox News that you would consider credible.
ReplyDeleteFox News usually gets the news right. I seldom watch its opinion programs except "The Five".
DeleteTheFive. I watch it too. I am surprised that Waters, Perino, and Gutfeld allow Juan Williams to express a slightly left of right position on anything. But are these three (and whatshername) as intellectual and informed as you want opinion spouters to be?
DeleteLeft of tight is center ... cummon, I sometime think that Juan doesn't even believe what he says.
Delete- tax reform (Aggrandizing the rich),
ReplyDelete- deregulation (Enriching oil companies),
- economic growth (already in progress),
- defeating ISIS (already in progress),
- employment growth (already in progress), - reforming and restoring international alliances (Making the world laugh at us),
- pushing back on our enemies (Really? What was accomplished?),
- immigration law enforcement, (kicking-out kids?)
- restoring a conservative tone to our judicial system (By nominating a bunch of know-nothings),
- starting to rationalize our healthcare insurance system (by kicking millions out of coverage),
- etc (Turning the White house into a reality show that you don't want to watch).
When you Obama/Hillary haters come to your senses, perhaps you will see that the new Emperor is naked.
I'd rather if you would try to explain away Obama's screw-ups ... instead of falsely claiming Trump is just riding on B.O.'s coat tails.
DeleteAll the deregulation and tax changes do not immediately result in higher revenues and employment.
DeleteBah, humbug! I never asserted that the economic gains "in progress" were Obama's doing. I do assert that no one who enjoys common sense believes that Trump has turned this ocean liner around in one year, when most of his energy has been spent on loony tweets and golf.
DeleteAnd the distruction of America was already in progress. Fortunately, the Emperor is turning things around. (I'd rather not see him naked though.)
ReplyDeleteRemind us of few of the forces that were destroying America.
ReplyDeleteOpen borders, BLM, crushing regulations, ANTIFA, political correctness, unfair foreign trade, "leading from behind", the Clinton Foundation, politization of the DOJ, FBI, IRS, EPA, NASA, etc., outdated tax code ... Enough? (There are lots more.)
DeleteThere has been a substantial wall on the Mexican border for decades, and there has never been a wall on the Canadian border. If you build one, it will only challenge who want to cross it to go over, under or around it. BLM? please... “crushing”? You would not have ANTIFA without FA.
DeleteFA?
DeleteFAscism
Delete