Saturday, April 9, 2016

Donald Trump is a Pragmatist

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Trump Is Not a Liberal or Conservative, He’s A Pragmatist

By:  Noah Rosenblum, a Facebook Friend

We recently enjoyed a belated holiday dinner with friends at the home of other friends. The dinner conversation was jocund, ranging from discussions about antique glass and china to theology and politics. At one point reference was made to Donald Trump being a conservative to which I responded that Trump is not a conservative.

I said that I neither view nor do I believe Trump views himself as a conservative. I stated it was my opinion that Trump is a pragmatist. He sees a problem and understands it must be fixed. He doesn't see the problem as liberal or conservative; he sees it only as a problem. That is a quality that should be admired and applauded, not condemned. But I get ahead of myself.

Viewing problems from a liberal perspective has resulted in the creation of more problems, more entitlement programs, more victims, more government, more political correctness, and more attacks on the working class in all economic strata.

Viewing things according to the so-called Republican conservative perspective has brought continued spending, globalism to the detriment of American interests and well-being, denial of what the real problems are, weak, ineffective, milquetoast, leadership that amounts to Barney Fife Deputy Sheriff, appeasement oriented and afraid of its own shadow. In brief, it has brought liberal ideology with a pachyderm as a mascot juxtaposed to the ass of the Democrat Party.

Immigration isn't a Republican problem – it isn't a liberal problem – it is a problem that threatens the very fabric and infrastructure of America. It demands a pragmatic approach not an approach that is intended to appease one group or another.

The impending collapse of the economy isn't a liberal or conservative problem, it is an American problem. That said, until it is viewed as a problem that demands a common sense approach to resolution, it will never be fixed because the Democrats and Republicans know only one way to fix things and the longevity of their impracticality has proven to have no lasting effect. Successful businessmen like Donald Trump find ways to make things work, they do not promise to accommodate.

Trump uniquely understands that China’s manipulation of currency is not a Republican problem or a Democrat problem. It is a problem that threatens our financial stability and he understands the proper balance needed to fix it. Here again successful businessmen like Trump who have weathered the changing tides of economic reality understand what is necessary to make business work and they, unlike both sides of the political aisle, know that if something doesn't work, you don't continue trying to make it work hoping that at some point it will.

As a pragmatist Donald Trump hasn't made wild pie-in-the-sky promises of a cell phone in every pocket, free college tuition, and a $15 hour minimum wage for working the drive-through a Carl’s Hamburgers.

I argue that America needs pragmatists because pragmatists see a problem and find ways to fix them. They do not see a problem and compound it by creating more problems.

You may not like Donald Trump, but I suspect that the reason people do not like him is because: (1) he is antithetical to the “good old boy” method of brokering backroom deals that fatten the coffers of politicians; (2) they are unaccustomed to hearing a candidate speak who is unencumbered by the financial shackles of those who own them vis-a`-vis donations; (3) he is someone who is free of idiomatic political ideology; and (4) he is someone who understands that it takes more than hollow promises and political correctness to make America great again.

Listening to Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders talk about fixing America is like listening to two lunatics trying to “out crazy” one another. Jeb Bush and Marco Rubio are owned lock, stock, and barrel by the bankers, corporations, and big dollar donors funding their campaigns. Bush can deny it but common sense tells anyone willing to face facts is that people don't give tens of millions without expecting something in return.

We have had Democrats and Republican ideologues and what has it brought us? Are we better off today or worse off? Has it happened overnight or has it been a steady decline brought on by both parties?

I submit that a pragmatist might be just what America needs right now. And as I said earlier, a pragmatist sees a problem and understands that the solution to fix same is not about a party, but a willingness and boldness to get it done.

People are quick to confuse and despise confidence as arrogance, but that is common amongst those who have never accomplished anything in their lives, and who have always played it safe not willing to risk failure.

6 comments:

jgreene said...

Very well written.

Anonymous said...

Agreed. TRUMP 2016!

Trumpeter (in the closet) said...

I agree and hope that soon I can publicly say I support Trump for President without being called a racist. I can't figure out how being against ILLEGAL immigration is racist? If it is, then Mexico is racist because I cannot just drive down there and become a citizen. In fact, I don't think there's anywhere in the world that allows anyone from any other country to just walk on in and automatically be a citizen. Even the EU only applies to member countries, so they need to get off their judgmental moral throne too.

Dennis V. said...

A person being a conservative or a liberal are labels that are thrown around too freely. Most people can be liberal toward one issue and conservative toward another. Furthermore, those labels can vary depending on the one doing the labeling. Therefore, most people could be labeled as pragmatists. They see a problem and they attempt to fix it. So, having the ability of being a good writer and painting Donald Trump with a rosy paintbrush doesn't make him a good person. You can paint a black sheep white but it's still a black sheep.
People don't dislike Donald Trump for the reasons that you noted, but for the fact that he's a misogynist, a xenophobe, a narcissist, hateful, a bully, someone who continually denies that they ever said what they plainly said. I'm sure that there are a few that I missed but you probably get the point.

Lynn Anderson said...

I was at a meeting the other night and the Priest who gave the invocation was for Trump. There are people who believe that he actually WILL get things done and make America Great Again in spite of his personality traits that some don't like. And I don't think he is any of those adjectives you used to describe him. He plays to win and does what it takes and he may come across as a bully at times. As he says, it is someone who attacked him first. He doesn't role offer to PC stuff.

Anonymous said...

I agree that it is well written and encompasses why I generally like the idea of Trump while not caring for the person Trump. We are seeing just how corrupt our two major parties are. We may be witnessing the implosion of at least one of them. These big shake-ups have happened before in our republic.

Trump is the result of a vacuum in leadership in the federal government, not just the executive branch. Congress can't get anything accomplished and the judicial branch is a parody of what it is supposed to be.

I'm happy to see Sanders giving Hillary a good run for the money and while Trump is far from the perfect candidate, he has definitely brought attention to several problems that without his bombastic platitudes, we'd be hearing the same old shit.

What is comprehensive immigration reform? We let in over a million immigrants a year LEGALLY now. Close the freakin border and THEN deal with those here illegally.

Muslims ARE the group that are killing thousands of people world-wide based on their religion. Would anyone have a problem with calling Eric Rudolph, the notorious abortion clinic bomber a Christian Terrorist?

Trump calls them as he sees them. As we see them. Will this election come down to the choice between the two most un-popular candidates available?