Great Post!
Posted on 03/01/2017 1:25:19 PM PST by ckinv368
Tonight, President Trump delivered a memorable speech to a joint session of Congress that even reluctant commentators compared to Reagan, and others said was one of the finest ever delivered. Chris Wallace went so far as to say that "tonight, Donald Trump became President of the United States." It was a fantastic speech. One of the best--maybe the best--I've ever seen. But, it wasn't a traditional Republican speech. It was better. It had a higher purpose than partisanship. It came from a more egalitarian and justice-driven place. Far from the "benefits for the rich, at the expense of the poor" mantle Republicans have unfairly been laden with for years, President Trump's speech was populist, even-handed, non-partisan, and, most of all, purely American.
President Trump lead with a recognition that racism, antisemitism, and racial violence were a horrible blight on our society that must be eradicated. Yet, he later balanced that with the call for all Americans to support our men and women in Blue--the brave police, sheriffs, and other officers that protect us all from the courser elements of our society. He said the Country must "stand united in condemning hate and evil in all of its very ugly forms." Not a controversial stance, and one that the vast majority of Americans would agree with. Yet, surprisingly (or perhaps not), Democratic members of Congress found little to applaud. President Trump called for a "rebirth of hope, safety and opportunity for our inner cities," and stated that government should "focus on the welfare of the American people." Democratic response was tepid, at best, even though many Democrats represent this same constituency. A similar Democratic response was given when President Trump declared that "education is the civil rights issue of our time," and encouraged Congress to allow all American families--black or white, suburban or inner-city--to make an educated decision as to where they would send their children for schooling. A President that dares to face off against the teachers' unions may be shocking to hard-line Democrats, but is a welcome friend to millions of parents with children stuck in failing schools.
President Trump spoke of other universal, non-partisan, goals. He said that "millions lifted from welfare to work is not too much to expect." He said that "our veterans have delivered for this nation and now we must deliver for them." He stated that while he would work to cut wasteful spending in defense budgets, he would also rebuild our military and immediately work to eradicate the brutal scourge that is ISIS. He declared that "the time for small thinking is over." These comments should have garnered Kennedyesque standing ovations across the aisle--and likely did in millions of homes across America--but they largely did not in the Democratic halls of Congress.
President Trump did not forget empathy. Despite his somewhat unfair reputation to the contrary (ask a teenage busboy or caddy who he's generously tipped whether they dislike him), President Trump has a soft spot for the common man. Time and time again, President Trump focused on real world problems faced by real Americans. Parents, spouses, and children who had loved ones murdered by illegal immigrants. A girl who's father fought against the FDA establishment to create a drug that saved her life. A girl who overcame a failing school system through admission to a charter school, and who now is in a Master's Degree program for social work. And, of course, the fact that President Trump took the time, in front of an entire nation, to recognize the bravery, courage, and patriotic zeal which Navy Seal Chief Ryan Owens embodied as he gave his life last month for his fellow countrymen. His sobbing wife--who deservedly received a standing ovation that was longer than any I've ever seen--was given the additional gift of being told, first-hand by the President of the United States and the Secretary of Defense, that her husband died furthering a very important mission that provided significant intelligence to keep Americans safe. That commentary, which didn't have to be provided, and which was probably classified at some level, hopefully gave her some semblance of closure that only the President could provide. That level of public, common decency is refreshing.
The President discussed bringing jobs back to American shores. He encouraged buying American, and hiring American. He spoke of a trillion-dollar infrastructure program that would be funded, not solely through tax dollars, but through public-private partnerships that would save taxpayers hundreds of billions of dollars. Oh, and his infrastructure plan just happens to be designed to bring back millions of American jobs. If you want 3-4% GDP growth, this is the way to achieve that. While government spending on infrastructure is a traditional Democrat soapbox, we saw little Democrat support tonight. As one commentator asked, "who's side are they on at this point?"
Finally, the President spoke about healthcare. He stated that everyone deserved to have access to healthcare. But he tempered that with the statement that government-mandated healthcare was not the answer. It is simply too expensive, horribly inefficient, does not decrease drug prices or increase competition, and is increasingly unavailable for millions of Americans. President Trump correctly pointed out that the promises of the last 8 years are largely unkept. Instead, he suggested a healthcare program that would protect our poorest and most vulnerable, while providing cost-effective plans for tens of millions of Americans. Competition across state lines--not Government-run exchanges and tax penalties for hard-working Americans--is the way forward. I am lucky enough not to have Obamacare. But, I know those who have no other choice. My butcher, Roland, who was faced with the prospect of a massive Obamacare premium increase or a tax penalty, recently told me he was thankful for President Trump. When asked why, he said "listen, if he can be in office for less than a month, and save me $700 in tax penalties through refusing to enforce the individual mandate, I'm a huge fan." I think millions of Americans are in the same boat as Roland, and feel the same way. Regardless of whether Democrats (or Republicans) are in favor of repeal and replace, the American public certainly is. The system is broken and must be fixed ASAP!
Tonight, President Trump gave the speech of his life, and ushered in a new pragmatism that transcends party politics in favor of simple Americanism. If Democrats or Republicans don't get on board, expect a massive backlash from the American public. For once, their Commander-in-Chief is firmly on their side. Democrats, who seem to be utterly lost in the wilderness of despair, do not appear to be on the side of the average American.
The Democratic response to President Trump's speech, delivered by Former Gov. of Kentucky Steve Beshear, was tinny and hollow. They trotted out their equivalent of a geriatric socialist grandfather, in the ilk of Senator Elizabeth Warren--but powered by more Ensure, and less Cherokee spirit--and he fell flat. He unfortunately wrote his speech anticipating President Trump would fail. Instead, he spent the first half of his speech proposing the same capitalistic ideals as President Trump just a few minutes earlier. How embarrassing. And, in case you were wondering, the gallery of silent and unmoving "average Americans" sitting in a diner as background props did not connect the Democratic party back with the working masses either. It takes more than human props to regain the trust of the American people.
In short, President Trump showed America tonight that his ideology rises above party politics. He simply wants to put Americans back to work, decrease regulation, make the tax code less complicated, fix our crumbling infrastructure in a fiscally-responsible way, give the average American access to healthcare and better education options for their children, enforce immigration and border-control laws already on the books, and rebuild our military into a world-class fighting force. It is a non-partisan, pro-America platform that the majority of the country support. For the first time in a very long time, we have a President who cares more about the American people than about his party. Unfortunately, by the response America saw tonight, we can't say the same of Democrats.
For more commentary on our political process, please see www.cameronkinvig.com
Great article. Job well done.
Great Post!
But will be bring the jobs back and keep out of wasteful wars not in America’s interest?
I think he will bring jobs back. Already has in many cases. And, I also think he’s a “peace through strength” President. Just like Reagan. We’ll have a million warplanes, a thousand ships, and will literally scare the hell out of any country that thinks of messing with us. World leaders of rogue regimes are literally scared to death of the guy because they know he’s not PC and wed to political discourse. He’s a fighter, and knows how to win.
Thanks, BTW!
I watched a President and statesman give that speech. Amazing.
He really was. One of the most presidential speeches I’ve ever heard. Huge game changer in that Dems now have no choice but to walk/talk carefully and take Trump seriously. If he can reach out to his base at rallys, and then speak to the American public forcefully like he did on Tuesday, there’s little to stop him.
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