Rant of the Day: 12/9/17

I've written extensively about Donald Trump in my posts and tweets. There are several posts I could write--what I would do in his place, etc. I don't want to simply regurgitate what I've written in dozens of posts or hundreds of tweets. But I'm rapidly getting Trump fatigue; it's like he has a compulsive obsessive need for attention. I've started and stopped this essay a handful of times since Thanksgiving. Here are some of the things that have happened since then:

• Trump released British-sourced videos featuring anti-Islamic radical content, embarrassing the British government.
• Trump was obsessed with winning a second straight Time Person of the Year contest, suggesting that a reluctance to grant an exclusive interview may have scotched his chances.
• Trump decided to go it alone in recognizing Jerusalem as Israel's capital. 
• Trump continues to push the NFL anthem protest kerfuffle
• Trump mocks Arnold Schwarzenegger's ratings as his successor on Celebrity Apprentice
• Trump renewed his attacks on CNN
• Trump attacked the Kate Steinle verdict and tries to politically exploit it for his anti-federalist Sanctuary City policies.
• Trump uses a ceremony honoring WWII Native American soldiers to launch an attack on Elizabeth Warren as Pocahontas. 
• Trump, who tweeted before a meeting with Pelosi and Schumer he didn't see a deal emerging, found them cancelling their visit. Trump then responded by showing empty chairs for them at the meeting. The photo then trends to Twitter ridicule, e.g., nobody wants to sit next to Donnie.
• Trump is upset at Washpo's Dave Weigel for publishing a picture of a half-filled Trump venue, mocking Trump's description that it was packed to the rafters.

I'm not claiming this is a comprehensive list of Trump's most outrageous moments over this short period; it's just the first few things that came to mind.

A few basic points:

• Trump needs to restore the mystique of the Presidency. One of the criticisms I had of Obama's Presidency (over and beyond political considerations) is that he had seriously overexposed himself by giving so many speeches, appearances on (non-news) shows and networks, etc.  Trump has done much the same, especially with his use of Twitter and his unusual Presidential pep rallies. He needs to stop; it's undignified for the President to go on Twitter and engage in petty attacks and insults at fellow Americans and foreign leaders. It's not a "fair fight"; it's a bully pulpit literally. Less is more. I've heard Trumpkins bristle at the idea of "censoring" Trump, that he hasn't lost his right to free expression, etc. "let Trump be Trump". I disagree sharply when it involves the constitutional rights of others, when it affects the Separation of Powers, when it is impulsive and self-serving. The fifth-grade taunting and name-calling, the endless self-promotion are unworthy of and cheapen the Presidency. 
• Trump needs to stop commenting on legal proceedings, court decisions, etc. This stems from the campaign when Trump started attacking Latino Judge Curiel. Then there's his politicization of the Bergdahl decision, the Kate Steinle decision, the self-inflicted wounds of multiple explanations for the terminations of Comey and Flynn, his constant attacks on the press, etc. These incidents reflect a type of authoritarianism beyond the limited scope of the Constitutional limitations on the Presidency, and his attempts to suppress the due process rights of others could well result in grounds for impeachment.
• Trump needs to stop attacking his own political coalition. His constant threats to primary Congressmen and US Senators (like Jeff Flake, who refused to back Trump's economically illiterate stands against immigration and trade) are counterproductive. His side deal with "Chuck and Nancy" on the debt ceiling undermined GOP attempts to negotiate spending cuts with the Democrats. Right after the Senate passed its hard-fought tax bill, Trump indicated that he was willing to give back some points on the business marginal tax cut.
• Trump needs to broaden his agenda and stop politically fringe initiatives. Trump has spent too much political capital on issues like his southern wall and Muslim visitor/refugee restrictions. Unauthorized immigrants have actually declined since 2007, and immigrants/visitors/refugees are less criminal-prone than the general population. More job losses occur because of improved productivity than alleged bad trade deals.

Not all the news is bad. Trump has been surprisingly good on deregulation, and he's made some inspired decisions on heading the FCC and DoD, not to mention court appointments, including SCOTUS Justice Gorsuch.

I'm not sure how to advise Trump; I realize that he'll never be the pro-liberty POTUS. I think the Democrats are trying to emulate a variation of the Tea Party Revolution, thinking, among other things, the tax reform will become their version of an ObamaCare focal point. The Dems are in a state of denial; the GOP don't have a super-majority, and the rejection of the tax plan is basically the same old same old resistance to tax reform they have been been voicing since the Reagan Administration.

I actually thought that Trump would be doing more wheeling and dealing with the Democrats than he has been. But the partisan gulf is more polarized than I've ever seen. And I'm not sure what deal he can make with the Dems which won't adversely affect his own political coalition. But his ability to live up to his dealmaker image could be his ticket to reelection. Of course, the Dems know that--recall McCain tried to run on his bipartisan street cred in 2008 and Harry Reid publicly told him during the TARP negotiations he wasn't needed. Trump doesn't have much time to correct course. It's theoretically possible for the GOP to lose the House; the number of retiring Republicans is not a good sign. I'm sure Trump will try to spin the loss of either chamber on failure of "the Establishment", but if Trump can't get his ratings to the 40's or 50's, I think it's highly possible you will see a contested nomination in 2020.