Posted on 10/12/2018 12:52:06 PM PDT by Red Badger
At least for the moment, the AP’s Jill Colvin observes, Donald Trump seems to be having the time of his life. The president has never been more available to the media, even offering what might have been unthinkable a few months ago — chatting up reporters in the private lounge in Air Force One. Trump spent 45 minutes on Fox & Friends, not an unusual venue but certainly a lot of time in an unstructured phoner. On top of that, he managed to have some fun with both the press and the entertainment industry with Kanye West’s Oval Office drop-in yesterday.
So what’s happening? Nothing bad, Colvin notes, and that’s remarkable in itself:
The president’s inclination to chat comes as Trump has been enjoying a spate of good news for his administration.
While the Russia investigation still looms and polls still predict major Republican losses in the House in next month’s midterm elections, Trump has been logging a series of wins, including appointing a second Supreme Court Justice to the bench and reaching an updated North American trade deal with Canada and Mexico. The stream of negative headlines that have been a constant presence through most of Trump’s administration, has abated — at least for a time.
“I think he’s having a lot of fun right now,” said former campaign adviser Barry Bennett.
“There hasn’t been a bad story in over week,” Bennett marveled.
That’s quite a difference from a few months ago, when the national media had painted Trump as practically isolated from reality and barely functional. That narrative depicted an angry, frustrated Trump, paranoid over Robert Mueller almost to the point of incapacity. Expectations soared that investigators would find enough evidence to push Trump into either resigning or being impeached, speculation that increased when Mueller’s team cut a deal with Paul Manafort.
And since then … nothing much has happened, except for the Brett Kavanaugh debacle. That drove everything else out of the headlines, including all of the minute developments on metastories that so far haven’t touched Trump. The economy has chugged along respectably or better, Trump won a victory in NAFTA renegotiations, North Korea hasn’t yet blown up, and most of all Trump played out the Kavanaughcalypse without backing down.
Now, with his base at least temporarily energized for the midterms, it’s no wonder Trump’s feeling on top of the political world. His isolation was greatly exaggerated in the first place, but there does seem to be a more relaxed approach and a renewed sense of enjoyment, too. His attitude toward reporters has definitely mellowed, at least temporarily, in person if not in rhetoric.
Or maybe Trump just feels most comfortable in campaign mode. Barack Obama exhibited the same enthusiasm for stumping, if perhaps a bit more consistent in presentation. Trump’s doing a lot of rallies for Republican candidates that center more on himself, and as the 2015-16 campaign showed, he gets tremendous energy from those events.
Put that in combination with a lack of bad press, even for a week, and it’s no real wonder why Trump feels he’s winning — it’s because he is, for now. After the midterms are over, that may change, but he’s making the most of it while he can.
Vast right-wing winning conspiracy.
If Obozo had racked up the accomplishments of President Trump in eight years (forget less than two), they’d be demanding that Mt. Rushmore add his face immediately.
Oh wait, never mind, libs hate Mt. Rushmore because it’s an FU to the Sioux and a misappropriation of the holy Black Hills or sumthin’.
Nice, but this is nothing compared to the gloating that will be taking place the morning after the mid terms are over and done with.
A well deserved end zone dance is in order!
I will be watching CNN exclusively just o watch them cry their crocodile tears...
The visual of the protesters clawing at the big bronze doors at the Supreme Court will remain in my minds eye forever.
One of the reasons it’s quiet is that Mueller’s trying to figure out how to make steak out of the lima beans they handed him.
I need a break from all this winning in such a short time! The list of accomplishments in just 21 months in office is just short of amazing. May be Donald needs to slow down a little, so that he does not run out of things to accomplish. He could easily be in office another 6 years and 3 months. Building the wall will be the crowning achievement.
(Donald’s achievements in 4 years) > (Accomplishments of Nixon+Reagan+Clinton+Bushes+Obozo) .. count on it. This dude is a no-nonsense CEO type who knows what creates prosperity.
In my personal opinion, tackling the ugly yuge trade deficit will be his biggest achievement, to create long term prosperity in USA.
Ya but what about his third term?
Mueller’s trying to figure out how to get out of going to prison.......................
And why is he winning?
Answer: TRUTH! JUSTICE! LOVE! BENEVOLENCE! GOD'S BLESSINGS ON AMERICA!
Trump should start doing short phone interviews with local TV news stations in districts and states with tight races. If a station is tough but professional, he should do more interviews with them. If they are hostile and fake, he should cut them off.
People like that Trump is hard working, so he should schedule a lot of rallies the last weekend and Monday before the election. A 1am rally in Michigan would be a replay of what brought him victory in 2016.
I have dreams of California becoming a RED STATE......................................
Trump knows a lot more about what is coming from the Russian collusion scam. The MSM and the Dems won’t like it, an understatement. The October surprise is coming.
A debacle for whom? We won. Kav will be a constitutional warrior on the bench long after Trump dies of natural causes. Plus he probably won us the mid-terms, or at least improved the outcome.
Donald Jr running in 2024?
Truly nothing much has changed in POTUS Trump’s life. All those screeching lies about conditions at the White House were Fake News. They were trying to SMEAR him out of office. But HE just keeps winning, and THEY have run out of lies and accusations.
They NEVER run out of lies and accusations.....................
When Trump wins America wins.
When Trump loses the end times are near.
I think they already are.
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