Robert Meyer
The king's horse has spoken: An American Brexit
By Robert Meyer
I am reminded of an anecdote about a man who had committed some offence against the king of his land. He is sentenced to be executed by the king, but requests a pardon if he can cause the king's horse to speak before his scheduled execution. The king quickly accepts the offer. When the man is placed in the dungeon to await his fate, his cell mate asks him why he would make such a preposterous proposition. His answer is simply. Three things could happen. The reigning king could die, in which case the new king might offer a pardon. The man could die in his sleep, and consequently never face execution. Thirdly, the horse might speak. In the unlikely political saga of the President- Elect, Donald J. Trump, the horse has spoken.
Well...I guess we can consider this election an upset if we assume most of the polls were merely inaccurate predictions. Think of how 24 hours makes a difference. Monday the 7th, my wife and I were despondent, thinking a bad election was at hand. Then that night we realized minute by minute there was hope. At about 10:30 CST, our state of Wisconsin was called for Trump, the first time in many presidential cycles Wisconsin went red. Look at how that 24 hours impacts so many thing.
For example the SCOTUS. The liberals were about to begin packing the court with more activists that would have impacted the culture for more than a generation. Now the strategy for democrats will quickly shift to filibustering Trump's nominations. Only last spring, some folks were cutting their losses by suggesting that the Senate should quickly approve Merrick Garland, Obama's selection to replace Justice Scalia on the SCOTUS. After all, Hillary was certain to win the presidency, and the penalty for stonewalling would be that Hillary would select a candidate even more liberal than Garland. I repudiated that strategy, believing you have to play to win regardless of the situation you're in at the time. Now that proposed compromise seems more preposterous than trying to spend a three-dollar bill.
Look at Obamacare. We have been wearing that increasingly heavy millstone around our necks for years. Now that albatross may be lifted and remedied. We would have been stuck with a broken system that largely failed to meet its promised objectives. Recall the mantra "If you like your plan, you can keep your plan." And then the promised affordability of health care premiums, which has now gone by the wayside as well.
We can lift the impediments to making this country energy self-sufficient by approving and building the needed energy pipeline infrastructure, currently obstructed by environmental religionists. We can shift away from onerous ideological positions that masquerade as scientific fact, stifling reasonable debate and healthy skepticism.
Fortunately it will be fairly easy to dismantle much of Obama's scrap heap of disastrous policies, because he sidestepped congress and initiated a lot of his agenda via executive orders.
We may get meaningful tax reduction, perhaps significant enough to get corporations that left the country back here to create new employment and domestic revenues. Ther democrats have made a cottage industry out of using the tax code to create class warfare, while at the same time, nobody dares to ask what level of taxation is the government's fair share.
But, enough of the policy issues. It is an amazing political feat, to paraphrase House Speaker Paul Ryan, just what Trump has managed to do. About 18 months ago, I thought it was either a bad joke or clever publicly stunt when Trump announced he was running for president. Somehow Trump navigated each hurdle along the way and grew stronger with each stride. Trump succeeded without the support of large segments of his party leadership. Many of those who faced reelection this cycle distanced themselves from Trump, figuring he would take the whole republican party down with him. Now these politicians are working their way back into Trump's good graces after riding to victory on his coattails. In my state, infamous liberal Russ Feingold was again defeated by Senator Ron Johnson, after Johnson was behind in the polls the entire race. Trump found the message that resonated not only with republicans, but many outside the party who were fed up with the political establishment. He made the pollsters eat crow.
As Ronald Reagan once commented "It's morning in America again." I just can't wait to get started with this new day.
© Robert Meyer
November 12, 2016
I am reminded of an anecdote about a man who had committed some offence against the king of his land. He is sentenced to be executed by the king, but requests a pardon if he can cause the king's horse to speak before his scheduled execution. The king quickly accepts the offer. When the man is placed in the dungeon to await his fate, his cell mate asks him why he would make such a preposterous proposition. His answer is simply. Three things could happen. The reigning king could die, in which case the new king might offer a pardon. The man could die in his sleep, and consequently never face execution. Thirdly, the horse might speak. In the unlikely political saga of the President- Elect, Donald J. Trump, the horse has spoken.
Well...I guess we can consider this election an upset if we assume most of the polls were merely inaccurate predictions. Think of how 24 hours makes a difference. Monday the 7th, my wife and I were despondent, thinking a bad election was at hand. Then that night we realized minute by minute there was hope. At about 10:30 CST, our state of Wisconsin was called for Trump, the first time in many presidential cycles Wisconsin went red. Look at how that 24 hours impacts so many thing.
For example the SCOTUS. The liberals were about to begin packing the court with more activists that would have impacted the culture for more than a generation. Now the strategy for democrats will quickly shift to filibustering Trump's nominations. Only last spring, some folks were cutting their losses by suggesting that the Senate should quickly approve Merrick Garland, Obama's selection to replace Justice Scalia on the SCOTUS. After all, Hillary was certain to win the presidency, and the penalty for stonewalling would be that Hillary would select a candidate even more liberal than Garland. I repudiated that strategy, believing you have to play to win regardless of the situation you're in at the time. Now that proposed compromise seems more preposterous than trying to spend a three-dollar bill.
Look at Obamacare. We have been wearing that increasingly heavy millstone around our necks for years. Now that albatross may be lifted and remedied. We would have been stuck with a broken system that largely failed to meet its promised objectives. Recall the mantra "If you like your plan, you can keep your plan." And then the promised affordability of health care premiums, which has now gone by the wayside as well.
We can lift the impediments to making this country energy self-sufficient by approving and building the needed energy pipeline infrastructure, currently obstructed by environmental religionists. We can shift away from onerous ideological positions that masquerade as scientific fact, stifling reasonable debate and healthy skepticism.
Fortunately it will be fairly easy to dismantle much of Obama's scrap heap of disastrous policies, because he sidestepped congress and initiated a lot of his agenda via executive orders.
We may get meaningful tax reduction, perhaps significant enough to get corporations that left the country back here to create new employment and domestic revenues. Ther democrats have made a cottage industry out of using the tax code to create class warfare, while at the same time, nobody dares to ask what level of taxation is the government's fair share.
But, enough of the policy issues. It is an amazing political feat, to paraphrase House Speaker Paul Ryan, just what Trump has managed to do. About 18 months ago, I thought it was either a bad joke or clever publicly stunt when Trump announced he was running for president. Somehow Trump navigated each hurdle along the way and grew stronger with each stride. Trump succeeded without the support of large segments of his party leadership. Many of those who faced reelection this cycle distanced themselves from Trump, figuring he would take the whole republican party down with him. Now these politicians are working their way back into Trump's good graces after riding to victory on his coattails. In my state, infamous liberal Russ Feingold was again defeated by Senator Ron Johnson, after Johnson was behind in the polls the entire race. Trump found the message that resonated not only with republicans, but many outside the party who were fed up with the political establishment. He made the pollsters eat crow.
As Ronald Reagan once commented "It's morning in America again." I just can't wait to get started with this new day.
© Robert Meyer
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