Fear not the Trump Train… but more guns???
from June 4 2016
Donald Trump is being vilified in the media
and by Democrats as toxic waste in their hopes to maintain control of the The White
House after eight years of the Obama Administration. Many navel gazers of the
Washington political scene have railed
against the depth or height of partisan
politics on Capitol Hill for generations. One
only need to observe The State of the
Union Address to see the sanctimony
being levied across the floor before a decided line that separates both political parties from heaving insults and other artifacts upon their adversaries. The 2016 SOTU saw Republican House Leader-Paul Ryan, with parched mouth, unable to sit still while President Obama delivered his final speech. Observing Obama’s final address, I realised the Americans got it right with a maximum of two terms per President. Barrack Obama appeared tired
from the rancorous debates, and general malaise that goes with being the worlds top- cop. It is fair to note that he inherited an America,unlike his predecessor, George W. Bush. The 2008 America was headed for a financial tsunami, and had lost respect among allies for some dubious foreign policy measures; primarily the second Gulf War incursion.
As the Primary season forges ahead, an anomalous political street-fight has created a wedge between those Republican’s that support Donald Trump for the top of the GOP ticket, and everyone else, including Democrats and “soft” Republicans. Trump has come a long way since The Apprentice and has galvanized support as he goes about winning state after state. However, his “take no prisoners” diatribe against his opponents has left the GOP feeling susceptible to the sure-footed eloquence of Hilary Clinton and her ensemble of campaigners, including husband and former President Bill Clinton. For Trump, this is akin to going to a gunfight with a knife. Couple that with Tea-Party’ers and hard Republicans, and success would seem fleeting at the Republican National Convention from July18-21 never mind upsetting the presumed odds on favourite to win in November, Hillary Rodham Clinton.
So, how can Donald Trump assuage the fears of veteran Republican stalwarts like James
Baker, a former Secretary of State in the George H W Bush administration, who warned the living world or those with bandwidth aplenty, that a Trump victory would make planet Earth, less safe. The
Donald is beginning to see his shadow as he courts members of the GOP faithful, such as House Speaker Paul Ryan to bring support and credibility to his campaign, while measuring his tone to appeal
to Independents, the immigrant-vote, and those voters who may be tempted to jump-ship to the Democrats, in November. Trump might consider former Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper and his failed attempt to throw niqab bearing Islamic women under the bus in the last Canadian election that saw Harper exiled to Dante’s Inferno in Alberta, all references aside.
What might Trump maintain in his tool kit of policies to temper fears of his victory in November?
First, he needs to bring in a moderate to run as Vice-President on his ticket. Former opponent and Ohio Governor John Kasich offers experience with managing deficits and has knowledge of foreign affairs. He is the perfect foil to fears elicited by Democrats, the protest movement, and even The Pope. That Kasich brought forward “The Balanced Budget Act” of 1997 which balanced the federal books for the first time in decades (a strong economy and shrinking military budget did not hurt), plays to his strengths as an administrator and fiscal conservative that Republicans know and trust. There is a rumour that Newt Gingrich and Trump have had discussions about a political liaison, though, it remains to be seen if the two men and their ego’s could get out of each others way long enough and develop the necessary chemistry to convince voters of their ingenuity and salience to manage the
worlds top economy and military. Worries of Trumps’ demagogue approach to immigration and trade can be diminished with a Kasich-Trump ticket, particularly with former leaders like former Mexican President Vicente Fox screaming bloody murder over a fence dividing the border of
the two countries. Most American voters would agree with Trump’s countenance to obliterate terrorism, though,at the expense of immigration, will not appease those voters that may be directly or
incidentally affected by restrictions to Islamic migration to America. What better way to stir up a firestorm than annihilating the approximately 6.67 million Muslims living in America.1
With or without the benediction of the Bush family, the Republican Party has found it’s legs under
Donald Trump and has a solid chance to form the next government in late November.
Should the GOP stumble and face another term in the political wilderness, Marco Rubio is the sexy
pick for 2020, and a viable choice for a top job such as Secretary of State, should America turn right this November. In that scenario, Canada can expect an even higher debt load to improve our military
and face the wrath of potential tariffs on exports. A Trump America will be bolder like the person, which is not terribly disarming after 8 years of a sedate Democrat administration.
In light of the horrendous events in Orlando, Trump re-iterated his policy of a temporary ban on Muslim immigration. And, why not in the heat of an election battle. However, stating that more
Americans with more guns would prevent incidents like Orlando and others from happening is asinine.2 A measured approach to immigration and tough legislation on firearms sales, sellers, and
eligibility to own deadly objects like guns, makes sense. Recent findings by CNN report that the U.S. has 5% of the worlds population and 31% of the worlds mass shootings. 3 For this, I am happy to live in Canada where we have enough gun violence with stringent firearms legislation. (Second Amendment.)
August 7, 2018
Since this article, Trump successfully won the GOP and President's Office.
He has a somewhat moderate for Vice President in Mike Pence. Some critics
feel that should Trump face impeachment, the mid terms this Fall of 2018 hold
real potential losses for the GOP with the House and Senate in play, Pence provides a better option as Commander - in - Chief.
Trump's Tariff war has sent shock waves through Europe, Canada, China and Mexico. Those nation - states
Trump's Tariff war has sent shock waves through Europe, Canada, China and Mexico. Those nation - states
are firing back with their own targeted tariffs against America in defence that have the potential
to inflict damage on those states that helped Trump win in 2016.A Democratically controlled House
& Senate will hold Trump's feet to the fire. However, if proof can show that Russian meddling in the 2016 election lay at Trump's feet, the notion of impeachment becomes very real and a flight home on Air Force One similar to Nixon in 1972 is a distinct and real possibility. Russian interference in the 2016 election has been proven and while this may be Trump's undoing, politics being a blood-sport, will see the GOP rally around Trump to maintain their positions.
2018 has not been kind to those around Trump's firebrand model of governing. Warming up to your enemies like Kim and Putin, while insulting your allies is treasonous and political suicide. While we wanted the Obama Administration to flex America's well developed military prowess, and foreign-policy chops, there is no doubt that Trump is causing his own folks distress through his assault on Obamacare, immigration, Tariffs and tariffs levied against Allies (Canada is a security threat, please,) his tax cuts, and job numbers may be enough to save him through a first term. The developed world cannot manage another 4 years of chaos and as one American Senator claimed, that she wished she could do her job for one day without the drama. I, for one, will not be disappointed over Chinese tariffs with the situation in Tibet, a gulag for Chinese officials to restrict Tibetan's basic freedoms.
The U.S. - China trade deficit that was 6 billion in 1985 now stands at 375 billion heading into 2018. The first six months of 2018 have it listed at $185, 721, 000,000.5 Credit Trump for trying to get this "tire-fire" under control left behind by Reagan, Bush Sr., Clinton, Bush Jr, Obama and now into its 10th Season with Donald Trump as POTUS (https://twitter.com/potus?lang=en.) The U.S. is into it's 10th mandate since Reagan assumed Office. The mid terms in 2018 have the ability to expose "The Apprentice."
Highlights of each mandate:
Reagan - March 30 1981 John Hinckley Jr. shoots Reagan
Reagan - urged Mikhail Gorbachev to "tear down this wall" leading to the end of the Cold War
Bush Sr. - The Gulf War --Operation Desert Shield. Aug 2, 1990 – Feb 28, 1991 (liberated Kuwait from Iraqi presence that invaded and annexed Kuwait.)
Clinton - record 115 months of economic expansion
Clinton - Monica Lewinsky/ Impeachment
Bush Jr. - September 11, 2001 World Trade Centre attacks
Bush Jr. - wars in Afghanistan and Iraq/ Saddam Hussein captured, tried, executed (they got the wrong guy.)
Obama - Affordable Care Act
Obama - captured and executed Osama bin Laden
Trump - has summit with Kim jong - un on denuclearization of North Korea/ first meeting of sitting leaders from both countries.
Works Cited
1 “America Muslim Population in 2014.” <http://www.muslimpopulation.com/America/>.
14 May 2016.
14 May 2016.
2.“If you had some guns in that club the night that this took place, if you had guns
on the other side, you wouldn’t have had the tragedy that you had. If people in that
room had guns with the bullets flying in the opposite direction right at him… right
at his head, you wouldn’t have had the same tragedy that you ended up having.”
Trump quoted on CNN. Trump.Donald. “Trump says more guns would have prevented Orlando massacre .” New York Daily News. <http://www.nydailynews.com/news/politics/trump-guns-prevented-orlandomassacre-article-1.2671668>. 13 June 2016.
3.Willingham, A.J. “US home to nearly a third of world’s mass shootings.” CNN.
<http://www.cnn.com/2016/06/13/health/mass-shootings-in-america-in-charts-andgraphs- trnd/index.html>. 13 June 2016.
4.United States Census Bureau. "Trade in Goods With China." <https://www.census.gov/foreign-trade/balance/c5700.html>. 7 August 2018.
5.Borger, Julian. The Guardian. "North Korea still secretly enriching uranium, say US officials." 30 June 2018. 7 August 2018. <https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/jun/30/north-korea-still-secretly-enriching-uranium-say-us-officials>.
Moments from the Trump - Putin Press Conference
Trump - Kim Press Conference
Full Trump - Kim Conference
Note: North Korea has already reported to be working on uranium enrichment post Summit.