Thursday, November 10, 2016

Hey Democrats: Don't be Cleveland Browns

My liberal friends seem to have a faith of infallibility in the policies of the current Democratic administration. It is a far easier thing to blame the KKK and the racists for this loss that looking at what the democratic party did wrong. Trump won with less votes that what McCain and Romney received and it only means that a lot of the Obama coalition stayed home or switched to Trump (some McCain/Romney republicans seem to have stayed home too). 
I don't believe that there is a racist majority in America; nor is there a large racist plurality. Whether it is the folks who are left behind by the new economy or those with unaffordable healthcare, a lot of people weren't helped by the government policies in the past couple of decades and chose to blame the party who has been in power for the past decade. The Clinton campaign just couldn't offer anything for them. They mostly focused on why one shouldn't vote for the Donald. Trump focused on why they should vote for him with promises to change things: empty as those promises may end up being, he was the only one peddling hope and change. 

If you can't open your eyes to how these people are affected by government policies (some can be squarely blamed on you, some maybe not), you will not learn how to earn their votes back. You can keep blaming the Comey or a 3rd Party. Or yo u can recognize that this was an outright rejection of the establishment: both of the Democrats and Republicans; at least the Republicans have less to worry about with the control of White House for four years and both houses of the Congress for at least two. If you're looking at these voters with the racist narrative, the only option you have is to fight them; recognizing that these are non-deplorable good folks some of who voted for Obama in the past but are now lost is the first step of figuring out how to bring them back. Also look at the democrats who stayed home and figure out how you failed to inspire them. Now, was the Klan all for Trump, sure, but they are not as influential as the millions of good men and women who supported the Trump movement. 

What didn't help Hillary is that she was running one of the most opaque campaigns in recent memory - save for Trump campaign, which didn't matter for him - refusal to do press conferences, no traveling press escort or anything that deviated from the scripted message that the campaign wanted to present. The media didn't make a big deal about it, but it denied the voters to get a close look at her. In this age that demands 24/7 accessibility, transparency and authenticity, she fell flat; she wasn't trusted because many folks didn't know much about different aspects of her. Trump may have refused to divulge a lot of things - tax returns or health records - but being a loose cannon to the point of alienating a lot of people, he maintained the aura of authenticity. 

Now, the Trump administration will take charge in earnest in a couple of months - notwithstanding the crazy-pot theories spread by left on how he can be stopped, much like the ones the right used to trade in during the Obama years - and no one can really predict how it is going to go down. Trump doesn't have a proclivity to follow any defined ideology or pattern. For one thing, he is definitely not going to spread theocracy as some in the right would hope. Even the policies on immigration that he is saying he would do is far less severe than what other countries like Australia currently practice. Even with Republican control of both houses of the Congress, there are enough checks and balances left to control what he could do - Democrats still have the tool of filibuster after all. 

This is probably a blessing in disguise for the democratic party. After all, the best growth in its popularity came during the eight years of George W Bush presidency that culminated in it claiming a full filibuster proof control of Congress and previously unthinkable election of the first black president. As they used "Blame Dubya First" as a strategy to widespread success, "Blame Trump First" would probably prove to be equally successful. As in sports leagues, rebuilding years usually lead you to great success eventually. Unless you are Philadelphia 76ers or Cleveland Browns.

Thinking of Trump Election

The wildest presidential election in recent history is over and a charismatic businessman has taken on two national parties and has reached one of the most powerful positions in the world. Some thoughts:
The Donald has proven that the best way for an outsider to become a president is not to do a third party/independent bid but rather to hijack one of the major parties on the way to power. In this process, he took on two of the biggest and most powerful political dynasties in the last generation in Bush family and Clintons and prevailed. Anyone who claims to have foreseen this is lying. They will write songs about this election (maybe movies, since that's the new norm).
Listening to his victory speech, I take him on his word that he wants to be the president for all Americans. I hope he would listen to those who haven't supported him - from both parties - in trying to unify our great country. You want to do the job so well we will be proud of you as the president: go ahead.
If he is actually planning to build the wall that he said he would build, I hope that he remembers his promise to build a "big beautiful door" in it.
I hope that he runs the country like a CEO, assembling a team of the "best people" to do every job as promised.
I hope that he puts an end to the war mongering interventionist neocon foreign policy that the current administration has been peddling and stops trying to provoke Russia into a Nuclear War. Keep your promise of improving relations with Russia by talking to Putin and getting along with him. Talk to North Korea as you said you will. We don't have to go around the world toppling governments and creating fertile recruiting grounds for terrorist groups.
I hope that he will fix healthcare costs. One thing nobody is talking about is that since Nov 1st, Open Enrollment started and millions of Americans looked at it and decided that it is not affordable. I wonder how many of those folks were previous supporters of Affordable Care Act and chose to vote for Trump solely because they suddenly didn't believe in it anymore.
About free trade, I hope that he doesn't start a bout of protectionist policies that let the government pick winners and losers. Review and rework "free trade deals" to make them truly free trade. But Tariffs only make consumers suffer and is essentially an income redistribution from the general population to the specific companies whose lobbyists manage to get these tariffs enacted.
Please do enact your vision of reforming the entire regulatory code to get rid of every wasteful and unnecessary regulation. An outsider like you who isn't beholden to any special interests is the best person to do it.
I also hope you abolish designated hitter.
As for the Democratic party, look at where it went wrong. You need to build a bench that is longer than dynastic retreads from previous administrations or old socialists who has little traction outside the circle of his small but ardent supporters. Having won the culture wars of the past couple of decades, it appears like you have nothing left fighting for; at least nothing that inspires its "Obama Coalition" to come out and vote. I already see a call from Michael Moore to obstruct and block everything that Trump wants to do; this is exactly the wrong thing to do: take each policy at its merits.
On the other side, the GOP shouldn't think that everything is rosy on your side: this ain't your victory. Donald J Trump isn't one of you even though he won under your label. You need to develop a coherent idea about what you stand for.
Anyway, now it is Trump time. Congratulations on becoming the President elect. There are grave structural issues that our country faces that require strong actions. Maybe a politician will never have the gall to make some of these tough decisions; a businessman maybe just what the doctor ordered. America is already great. Feel free to make it even greater. Please lay off your fascist, autocratic impulses. Let freedom ring.