AS I LIKE IT!
NOVEMBER 16, 2016
Quote of the week:
“Remember one thing about democracy. We can have anything we want and at the same time, we always end up with exactly what we deserve.”
Edward Albee, American playwright (1928-2016)
The torch has passed
I did not vote for Donald Trump, but America did, and resoundingly. We have elections to decide what we want for our country, and the electorate overwhelmingly sent a message. The people said that they were tired of business as usual, and in order to change the status quo, they were willing to elect a man who was clearly not part of the political establishment.
What does this mean? Well here’s what I heard the people say:
- Don’t send us your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free. We no longer need them, nor do we want them, and above all, we no longer trust them. We’re slamming the door.
- The days of “we shall overcome” will be replaced with “get a job.”
- There won’t be affordable health care.
- There’s going to be a sea change in our foreign policy. We’re going to speak harshly and carry a big stick. This means we need to spend billions to rebuild our military.
- Our economy will absorb the new policies and benefit from the surge in defense spending. Corporate America won a major victory.
- There will be a fundamental shift in our jurisprudence, with re-interruption of key issues like Roe v Wade and Miranda.
- There will be tax reform that will benefit Corporate America and the wealthy, and maybe there will be some trickle down to the rest of us.
- Mr. Trump will try to impose term limits, but even a Republican congress will not be having that.
Are these bad things? Maybe not. In fact, some of them are perhaps needed. But the devil, like always, will be in the details, and the unintended consequences of these massive reforms will be Mr. Trump’s biggest challenge.
The one thing that I am sure of is this; our system worked. Once again we have seen a peaceful handover of power just as the U.S. Constitution prescribes. I believe it is my responsibility to respect the office of President and to accept the decision of the electorate with grace.
I would also hope to see the Democratic minorities in Congress make an honest effort to find common ground with the majority and be part of the solution, not part of a continued policy of obstruction. The people have spoken and they have said that they are sick and tired of petty party maneuvering. GOD BLESS AMERICA!
Categories: As I Like It!
Tom Lawrence's Blog 
Tom…..very surprised you did not vote for Donald Trump. I tell anyone asking me how I voted: “I was born and raised in a small country town in Mississippi….I spent 5 years active duty in the United States Marine Corps and I’m a decorated combat veteran”. Does that answer your question? E.
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Well put, Tom. I, too, am a Marine Corps veteran–although not a decorated combat veteran–who grew up n Mississippi and I, like you, did not vote for Donald Trump for the simple reason that I do not believe that he is mentally, morally or tempermentally fit for the position. But, as you said, the people have spoken and Donald Trump will become President Trump, and as such will be my president. God Bless America and God help Donald Trump lead our country.with wisdom and compassion for all Americans.
AMEN!
Are you sure you are not Donald Trump?
I always suspected you were a closet liberal ever since you confessed to glomming my cigarettes while we were room mates at Cow Collitch.
I read your note with interest. Your interpretation and mine differ. What I heard was: 1) Your are welcome to come to this country as long as you come using our set of laws. You are welcome if as a legal immigrant you are here to get a job, support your family, obey our laws, and assimilate into our society. You will be vetted before you can enter our country because our hard working citizens want to be sure that you are not coming to shoot us, to try to replace our constitution by sharia law, or to live on welfare provided from our taxes. 2) That we shall help you overcome by providing good schools so that you can educate yourself through study and hard work rather than union run schools that have failed you for the past 50 years. By removing illegal immigrant felons from your neighborhoods and allowing you to walk down sidewalks again in safety. By stimulating a free enterprise economy to provide jobs that give you both the income and dignity earned through productive work. 3) Affordable healthcare as provided thru Obamacare? Obamacare has caused untold harm by limiting the number of people that small businesses will hire, so they can stay under the 50 cap, by forcing business to convert full time jobs to part time jobs to prevent being dragged into the government mandated rules and regulations, by causing insurance premiums to grow at an astounding rate (116% in Arizona this year). Obama says it is a great success because more people are insured than before, but the majority of those people are now on Medicaid, which means that the taxpayers are providing the insurance – not the individuals. 4) There needs to be a sea change in our foreign policy unless you count Obama / Clinton / Kerry achievements like Libya, the Iran deal, paying $400,000,000 for ransom for four hostages in direct violation of US policy, accepting a $25 million bribe from the King of Morocco to shut down a phosphate company in Florida, swapping 4 jihadist from Guantanamo (who are now back in the, fight against civilized humanity) for a US Army deserter, and all the other achievements of this brilliant trio has accomplished. 5) Corporate America, which is comprised of both big and small businesses, is who creates jobs and the prosperity that goes with them. Government can hire people but they do so at the expense of taxing businesses and individuals, which stifles real GDP producing growth. 6) I think that a Supreme Court that decides to interpret the Obamacare act by what they think the Democrats meant, rather than what they wrote in the law, needs to have some different thinking introduced. If what is written in the law doesn’t matter, why write it down and vote on it? 7) I sure think that our 7000+ page tax code that nobody completely understands needs to be revised, simplified, and the tax rates for both businesses and individuals lowered. Don’t you? Remember Charlie Rangel, Democratic congressman from NY, who while Chairman of the Ways and Means Committee was censured by the House because he was caught cheating on his taxes – and his excuse was he didn’t understand the tax code? He was chairman of the committee responsible for writing the tax code. I think it could stand some simplification. 8) I just read that a newly elected Democratic congressman from Kansas(?) said that he supported term limits for congress. Maybe there is hope. Who knows if Trump can get term limits, but I would welcome a public debate that forced our congressman to take a public stand so that we could make a better informed decision about reelecting them. I support term limits. Are you against term limits? Tell me why. Feel free to share my thoughts with your readers. Mike
Well at least give the man a chance. I understand he took his family to “21” last night without telling the NYT, but he hasn’t even been sworn in yet or completed his transition process. Reagan was prejudged and underestimated as well by the ‘chosen’ but most agree was one of our greatest presidents. Hillary beat herself by being the kind of person she was proven to be. Trump was smart enough to get elected against all odds and he is smart enough to know that politics is the art of compromise. Be patient. Have faith. We will still be America.
Tom:
Good, nay, excellent post.
One typo: “prescribes”
Regards,
Bill >
Tommy, it appears that the election of Donald Trump and the vote on Brexit are both plebiscites of the hoi polloi in opposition to the patrician class who oversold the benefits of free trade, immigration and the state knows best. Of course, it is likely that the cures and benefits propounded in these elections will have been oversold also.
Gerald. What is a ‘propound’? 🙂
I didn’t vote for Trump, either. In fact, I voted for Hillary. Your quote this week is spot on. However, Hillary won the popular vote by 700,000.
Personally, I’m mad at the IRS because I still haven’t received my income tax refund from 2015. Should I blame Obama and vote for change? No, I realize that the IRS is under-funded and under-staffed because Republicans want to shrink the government so they can drown it in a bath tub. My ire should be directed at Republicans, not Democrats. A lot of Trump voters for change don’t realize who caused their desire for change.
Democrats don’t deserve Trump, just Republicans. I fear what can and may happen.
-Bob
Bill: As a fellow Republican since the days of Rubel Phillips, I know you are pulling my chain. To propound is to set forth a plan to solve a problem. As a member of the hoi polloi, I voted for Trump, although he was not my first, second or third choice. However, I recognize that his solutions are a little extreme. I am depending on the Republican congress to keep him between the ditches. But I have had enough of the sanctimonious Democrats. See you at the Library.
Deo Valent – I couldn’t have expressed it better myself. Thanks for the insight. J. Rose III
Tom, for whom you voted does not concern me as much as “what you heard the people say”! None of the items, except #8, ring true (cowbell analogy) to what I heard. Perhaps you are hanging out at the BBQ joints. Too bad we don’t still have the “crossroads” to visit as we could have a beer and discuss it. Watching the actions of liberal left since the election has caused me to rethink my position on deporting “illegals”. Perhaps we should keep the “illegals” and deport the liberal left! Good posts Bill!. Great post Gerald!