Trump has started with few surprises. Shocking cabinet picks, drill baby drill initiatives, soldiers sent to police the borders and pardons for the Jan 6th rioters, some of which undertook serious acts of violence. People died.
Yawn… I braced myself for all this the moment he got elected. Perhaps only the fawning tech bro oligarchs got to me. Best to keep calm and carry on.
He mostly fails to surprise – his actions are ‘priced-in’…
And yet, how has it come to this?
Answer: because a complacent, arrogant Democrat and moderate Republican establishment let it happen. It reminds me of the complacency of the Tory Left before Thatcher swept through the Conservative Party.
Uncontrolled immigration, inflation, erosion of industries in the ‘flyover’ states, excessive political correctness culminating in defund the police initiatives (just look at how San Francisco was governed), and intrusive federal bureaucracy. Yet a deaf ear was turned to all of this.
Biden did many good things about which he failed to communicate, but in particular ignored the consequences of inflation and illegal immigration. Harris had no guiding philosophy except not to be Trump. The likes of Obama and Clinton continued to patronise voters backed up by Hollywood celebrity endorsements. Even I was in despair at the end of the campaign.
Core voters need core policies and blunt communications to make them understand politicians get it and will move the dial to make their lives better. Sometimes, if that means playing to some of their prejudices, so be it. Trump got that. The Establishment didn’t.
Trump will do a few consequential things domestically, but not many. He probably has a two year window at best, and checks and balances (yes, they still exist) will slow him down.
Internationally, where he has four years of relatively unfettered power, Trump could be a disaster over China, Russia, NATO, and free trade.
Personally, I have always thought character matters in politics. Ultimately, this is a guide to whether a politician is a good person who really cares about voters’ concerns. Trump, a convicted felon, a fraud, does not, but he might just get some things done the Establishment thought was beneath them.
In Europe as in the US, moderates should learn from Trump and start listening to core voters. Otherwise, Trumps will spring up and win elections everywhere. Not because they are liked by most voters but because out of frustration, they appear a better option for getting things done.
Inside Right Politics 