However, he does have a proclivity for undermining his own message. He does this through distractions, through being thin-skinned and too-quick-to-react; he still hasn’t shaken that “schoolyard tough” image. Think how much more successful he would be if he could combine President Trump’s policy moves with President Reagan’s pleasantness, graciousness, and joviality. The President remains often coarse, rude and harsh, and he certainly is not one to “turn the other cheek” or to ignore the fray. Other Presidents “stayed out of the gutter” while their hatchetmen did the verbal retaliation and argument. This President does his own arguing and doesn’t need anyone’s help to retaliate. His “tweets” are a well-known example of this, and if someone comes along with the knack of convincing him to abandon that practice, how much more smoothly will flow his presidency. So many of the people who like what he has been doing don’t care for the way he has been doing it – they are still on his side, but if he keeps it up, who knows how long they will remain? Conversely, how many neutrals could he win if he made an effort to win them? And we don’t mean by abandoning his policies or even softening them – but rather by softening his rhetoric and smoothing the corners on his attitude. Sure, his political opponents are saying some harsh things about him – but he is the 45th President about whom harsh things have been said (yes – that’s all of them we have had!). The most successful of the other 44 could turn away wrath and could laugh away criticism. President Trump should learn that one doesn’t have to take oneself too seriously to conduct a serious presidency.
By John Shaffer President Trump has had an eventful first two months in office. Most new Presidents make a stout effort to win over their opponents and usually have managed to alienate a good chunk of their supporters by now. President Trump has done pretty much the opposite: almost everything he has done has pleased his supporters; and he doesn’t seem to care if his opponents like him or not – in fact, it seems that he goes out of his way to enrage them. We count ourselves among those who think that most of the President’s policy moves have been, if not ideal, at least are in the right direction.
However, he does have a proclivity for undermining his own message. He does this through distractions, through being thin-skinned and too-quick-to-react; he still hasn’t shaken that “schoolyard tough” image. Think how much more successful he would be if he could combine President Trump’s policy moves with President Reagan’s pleasantness, graciousness, and joviality. The President remains often coarse, rude and harsh, and he certainly is not one to “turn the other cheek” or to ignore the fray. Other Presidents “stayed out of the gutter” while their hatchetmen did the verbal retaliation and argument. This President does his own arguing and doesn’t need anyone’s help to retaliate. His “tweets” are a well-known example of this, and if someone comes along with the knack of convincing him to abandon that practice, how much more smoothly will flow his presidency. So many of the people who like what he has been doing don’t care for the way he has been doing it – they are still on his side, but if he keeps it up, who knows how long they will remain? Conversely, how many neutrals could he win if he made an effort to win them? And we don’t mean by abandoning his policies or even softening them – but rather by softening his rhetoric and smoothing the corners on his attitude. Sure, his political opponents are saying some harsh things about him – but he is the 45th President about whom harsh things have been said (yes – that’s all of them we have had!). The most successful of the other 44 could turn away wrath and could laugh away criticism. President Trump should learn that one doesn’t have to take oneself too seriously to conduct a serious presidency. Comments are closed.
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