What hasn’t happened

by | Aug 2, 2017 | Editor's Blog, National Politics | 7 comments

I was wrong.

Right after Donald Trump won the presidency and the GOP successfully held onto both the House and Senate, I predicted that Republicans would move swiftly to enact a sharply conservative agenda similar to what happened in the first few months of Gov. Pat McCrory’s tenure in North Carolina. By this time in the Trump presidency, I expected to see passage of a slew of bills turning back progressive policies that have been in place for decades and introducing new policies that would take the country on a hard right turn. It hasn’t happened.

Why? I underestimated the split within the Republican Party, especially in the House of Representatives. Dismantler of Senate Mitch McConnell is less of a leader than an obstructionist and his hardball tactics to diminish the Senate have built ill-will even among Republicans. Donald Trump has caused the GOP far more trouble than I anticipated. And finally, love them or hate them, Nancy Pelosi and Chuck Shumer have proven to be strong leaders who have held their caucuses together.

The Freedom Caucus, led by North Carolina’s own Rep. Mark Meadows, has proven to be a thorn in the side of Republicans who want accomplishments more than gridlock. They stalled the GOP’s original attempt to repeal and replace Obamacare, demanding a much more conservative version that would kick more people off of Medicaid. These folks brought down former Speaker John Boehner and will put ideology above pragmatism every time. Look for them to gum up the works over the upcoming tax reform battle.

Mitch McConnell has done more damage to the institution of the Senate than any Majority Leader in decades. As Minority Leader, he abused the rules to stop any progress in his failed attempt to make Barack Obama a one-term president. His continued abuse of power caught up with him when he used procedural moves to circumvent the debate and deliberation that make the body great. John McCain stood up and said the process stank, sinking the misguided health care bill and leaving the Republicans with no major legislative victories six months into the Trump presidency.

As for Donald Trump, what can you say? Who would have thought that he would try to run the presidency by twitter? He’s unwittingly sabotaged his own agenda and inflamed controversies instead of stifling them. His approval ratings are so abysmal that Republicans in potentially competitive races in 2018 are trying to distance themselves from him. He’s probably done as much to stall GOP success as any single factor.

Democrats, for their part, have shown discipline in their opposition to Republican policies. They stood united against the GOP attempts to dismantle Obamacare and Chuck Shumer and Nancy Pelosi have proven their mettle as leaders. Pelosi, despite the disdain that both the left and right hold for her, has shown that she knows how to present a united front with no public squabbling to disrupt legislative business. She pushed through Obamacare as Speaker despite huge obstacles and now she’s holding her caucus to protect it. Shumer, who’s new in his role as Minority Leader, has reached out to members of all ideologies to keep people focused on goals and not divisions.

Things could still get bad. With John Kelly as White House Chief of Staff, we’re about to find out if it’s possible to discipline Trump. Maybe McConnell and company are going to be able to ram through a sweeping tax reform program without a lot of rancor. I’ll believe both when I see them.

7 Comments

  1. Scott

    When you write a letter to the President it’s supposed to be to Honorable Excellency President of the United States. Try writing Honorable Excellency Donald J. Trump. Scary huh, since you know he must salivate at the Excellency part.
    I made a record that is comments with my guitar to the Trump news conference, and taught myself Trump is a pedantic nitpicker. His job, is interior decorator. His trick is painting things gold. Pedantic & tacky is working.
    I maintain that it is the ignorance of the difference between Economics (US Treasury) & Finance (Wall Street, banks making money by loans, while there is only so much in the State Treasuries.)
    William Petty is the NC favorite. Work is dirty and horrible. If you pay more than subsistence to labor, they won’t work.
    Petty had no other evidence than what he saw out the window. Keynes had empirical evidence that people worked plenty, & when they got more than subsistence wages spent it on educating their children & fixing the house up.
    Since the American people are denied any benefits of their Treasury, some are trying to figure out how to get a utility bank going that lends to industry & manufacturing more than Finance banks which are all about real estate & more real estate.
    The Bank of North Dakota is an end run around the Federal gifts to Goldman Sachs & the DOD which goes to war to prop up the petrodollar. There are in fact people who will take something other than the dollar for oil. If they get noticed by the State Department it is important they be killed as soon as possible.
    I may have written something along these lines before. Tom, you can throw it away.
    Constant crisis domestically & internationally is making people crazy. I’ve seen the future and it is the apocalyptic riot.

  2. Mike Leonard

    Fat Bastard told golfers the White House is “a real dump”. We should work to move him into the Big House, complete with orange jumpsuit to match his fake hair.

  3. Kicking butt

    Speaking of the Freedom Caucus, you need to add to their list the upcoming vote on the budget. Just wait until the vote on passing the budget arrives and the government is shut down by the Freedom Caucus.

  4. Lan Sluder

    I agree with your comments, but I believe the phrase is “proven their mettle” not meddle (although some Republican’ts would say Pelosi and Schumer do meddle.

    • Troy

      So is that necessarily good or necessarily bad in your view?

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