President Trump has made his first campaign appearances for the 2024 election Were you happy to see him?

[exitseven]

He looks like he has lost some weight and he addressed a lot of the issues that most Americans care about. He said he is more committed than ever and also hinted at running a new style of campaign. I am optimistic but hope he sticks to the script.

[nightdrot]

Not especially. I am a Republican who was no fan of Mr. Trump. His populist brand of politics - which he shares with Mr. Biden - has aggravated already agitated social circumstances. The result was not only that he lost an election he ought have won, but it has degraded the quality of debate in the USA.

Mr. Trump's domestic policy record, in terms of results, was good but not brilliant. He brought inflation. for example, to 1.7%. However, he took over at a point in time when the economy was already in the process of recovery from a previous recession. So, in the end, Trump was claiming credit for things that were already happening.

This unlike, for example, President Reagan in the 1980s. Mr. Reagan took the economy from a 14.5% rate of inflation, to cite one case, and brought it down to 1.1%. The largest swing since statistics began being kept.

So while Mr. Trump's record on the economy was not bad. It hardly deserves the kind of bombastic self-congratulations that he gave it.

In foreign policy, Mr. Trump's foreign policy was often tactically brilliant. However, he appears to have no broader strategy. Thus, while he managed circumstances superbly, he has nothing in his track record the equal of Mr. Reagan's historic victory in the Cold War.

Then, most of all, Mr. Trump's bombast and penchant for self-congratulations agitated the culture and has brought a shrill and intemperate tone to an already tumultuous period in American society and politics. This again in contrast to Mr. Reagan, whose calming tone and sense of humor helped to mellow what had been the highly agitated politics of the 1960s and 70s.

(This captured in a political cartoon that appeared during Reagan's tenure. The first panel showed a pollster asking a voter what the voter thought of Reagan's policies.

The voter replies with curses. %&^&*!!!

The second panel, same pollster asking same voter question #2, "What do you think of Mr. Reagan personally?"

The voter replies, "Oh great guy!! Really like him!! Friendly!! Affable!!"

Thus why a recent survey asked Americans what decade they were most nostalgic to return to. the 1980s won hands down.

Bottom line, Mr. Trump was not bad in policy terms - though again, not brilliant. However, at the end of the day, his brand of populist politics has destabilized and agitated American culture and politics, with much misery to follow. Suffice to add that, whatever his claims, Mr. Trump was not a conservative as the emphasis of conservatism is on stability, calm and tradition.

Happily, the data shows that Mr. Trump seems to have past his prime. His polling within the GOP is in decline and his candidates in the recent mid-term elections fared poorly. Thus the GOP's poorer than average showing even against an unpopular President like Mr. Biden.

No, it is time to move on. Mr. Trump was and is a net negative for the nation and it would do well if he would step off the world stage. His hour is past, but unfortunately his colossal vanity will not allow his even a small degree of graciousness and thus his return to the campaign trail.

[exitseven]

Trump's border policies of "Wait in Mexico" and building the wall did what it was designed to do. It discouraged the caravans. They all stayed home because they knew they would not be allowed to freely walk into the country. He didn't offer all the free stuff that Biden did ether. The border was under control.

[nightdrot]

As I suggested, many of Mr. Trump's policies - especially in foreign policy - were highly effective and there is something to be said for that. Certainly, in that sense, he was superior to the ten thumbed incompetent who followed him.

However, at the end of the day, Mr. Trump must be judged a failure. For whatever his successes - and immigration policy was one of them - at the end of the day he failed to build an enduring consensus. His bombast antagonized much of the culture - whatever its catharsis for his staunchest supporters - and thus divided the county and made Trump's policy legacy problematic.

Again, this in contrast to Mr. Reagan, who forged a broad consensus that held - ironically - until about the Trump years. Thus did Bill Clinton announce before Congress, "The era of big government is over." Thus was Mr. Obama unable to get the "Medicare for all" that he really wanted and thus settled for "Obamacare."

Again, Mr. Trump had his successes - and as I mentioned, I thought his foreign policy especially effective. Yet at the end of the day his approach to governance undermined the long term viability of the very policies he pursued. Thus the current immigration mess, too.

[PatriceONeal]

This is nonsense. Giving trumps economy's credit to Obama. Can't take these people seriously.

[nightdrot]

@PatriceONeal Forgive me. I did no such thing. However, when Mr. Obama left office, the economy was growing at 2.3% This prompting him at the time to say that the American public would have to get used to 2% growth as the new normal.

One year later, after a year under Mr. Trump, the economy was growing at 3.1%. This showing that he managed the economy, on the whole, better than his predecessor.

That said, the economy was growing. The most distinctive aspect of Mr. Obama's economy being that, while it was growing, it was doing so at below the historic average.

Mr. Trump improved upon Mr. Obama's economy. However, the data is clear. The economy was growing.

[PatriceONeal]

If I threw a wet blanket on a fire, then before it went out, I left. I took it away. You show up to a growing fire thinking I created something.

[nightdrot]

@PatriceONeal The analogy makes no sense. In any case, I cited specific data to illustrate my point. You have fallen back of vague generalities.

Bottom line, the data shows what it shows. It is pointless to argue against it. Mr. Trump inherited an economy that was recovering from a recession. He improved upon it, but the recovery was already under way.

By contrast, Mr. Reagan inherited an economy that had a 14.5% inflation rate in 1979 - the highest ever recorded in peacetime - and 13.1% in 1980 - the first time the nation had experienced back to back years of double digit inflation in peacetime. Moreover, the rate of unemployment would peak at 10.8% in 1982 - higher than even the 10.1% unemployment rate of the so-called "Great Recession."

Yet by 1986, Mr. Reagan had brought inflation down to 1.1% and the unemployment rate to 5.1% - which economists at that time believed to be statistical full employment. Suffice to add that Mr. Reagan was re-elected in 1984 with a 49 state landslide and the third highest popular vote margin ever.

To sum up, whatever else may be said of Mr. Trump, his performance nowhere near compares to Mr. Reagan's. To add then that Mr. Trump inherited an economy already in recovery.

It does Mr. Trump no disservice to say so. However, an honest analysis of his accomplishments - their extent and their limits - is only sensible.

[PatriceONeal]

Only a fool thinks economies are I heritage. The day they get in office they'll make tons of changes that can't change until the laws are passed. Trump is directly responsible for the lowest black unemployment in history and the thriving economy.

[PatriceONeal]

Calling Trump "populist" is a strange thing to say. On fact it couldn't be further from the truth. 99% of social media are parroting the democrat progressive line rallying against him along with the majority of society. Not quite a "populist"

[nightdrot]

@PatriceONeal Sorry, what does, "Only a fool thinks economies are I heritage..." mean? The sentence is unclear.

As to the latter point, Mr. Trump made a populist appeal. Populist and progressive are VERY different things. The former lacks any schematic philosophy but is rather an appeal to the assumed nobility of the common man. It basically indulges a culture of self-pity and self-indulgence - which suffice to say, more than adequately describes the current state of society.

[PatriceONeal]

Inherited. But heritage also works. Use that supposedly wise 59 yr old mind there bud.

[PatriceONeal]

The culture that indulges in self pity and self indulgence are qualities of the left. You got it backwards. They cancel. They cry racism and sexism. They push for communism /socialism.

[nightdrot]

@PatriceONeal Sir, I was prepared to have a civil conversation with you. However, if your preference is to sling insults, I would rather not be bothered.

[PatriceONeal]

Calling you wise was an insult? Thanks for confirming my suspicions of you Rino.

[nightdrot]

@PatriceONeal No, actually, the left - and do you understand the pedigree of that usage, by chance? - argues that man, in the words of Rousseau, is the "noble savage." That imperfect institutions - legal and cultural - have corrupted his nature and that if these institutions are "reformed," man can be perfected.

Just out of curiosity, have you studied the intellectual history of political philosophy?

[nightdrot]

@PatriceONeal If you called me "wise," I perhaps missed it in your word salad.

As to being a "RINO," leaving aside the fact that I have worked in Washington for Republicans for over three decades, I offer my response to two questions for your perusal. . The first was rated MHO. The second "Superb."

1) What is your political philosophy? ↗

2) Which political party do you support? ↗

[PatriceONeal]

Working as a republican doesn't refute your rino status. Almost logical.

[PatriceONeal]

You're gloating that your homogenized response gets a positive validation on a commie website. How slow are you?

[nightdrot]

@PatriceONeal Read my response to the two questions.

[PatriceONeal]

No thanks

[PatriceONeal]

You contradicted yourself by the way. Disingenuous rino.

[nightdrot]

@PatriceONeal Well, obviously this discussion - if such it can be called - has run its' course.

You are a vapid prisoner of ideas that you cannot even grasp. Please child, go to school, go learn something.

[poneglyphs]

Nah, he's going to fuck with us again and mess up the country more than it needs to be

[exitseven]

Do you think the country is better now?

[poneglyphs]

NH, this country won't ever be better without a great leader and compasses politicians. Also, our workforce is ass and everything is about money 🫠🫠🫠

[Daniela1982]

Excuse me? Who was the dumb ass who screwed the economy up and let in every Tom, Dick, and Harry into our country, raising the crime rates, drugs, sex trafficking, and illegals of all kinds costing mucho bucks?

[exitseven]

@poneglyphs Trump's style leaves a lot to be desired but you cannot argue with the results. He runs a very large organization and is a problem solver. To be able to do that you cannot act like you are trying to win a popularity contest.

[Daniela1982]

That too.

[Gummy_Cluster]

I don't care if it's Trump or DeSantis, but one of them needs to save the country from the moron that "magically" won the last election.

*He can't talk

*He can't read

*He has no clue who Brandon is

*He takes orders from the Easter Bunny

*He Gave 85 billion in weapons to the terrorists

*He sold one million barrels out of our strategic reserve, to China

*He keeps classified documents in his garage

*He shut down the Keystone pipeline

*He gave Vlad the green light to finish his pipeline, which led to the fake war in Ukraine.

*He's arming IRS agents, and telling them to kill people

*He said you didn't have to pay your rent, during the fake Covid response. And idiots believed him.

*He said he would forgive student debt, and the idiots believed him.

This is just my short list.

[Red_Arrow]

It is your short list because it is so much bullshit.

[AngryCarl2]

He won by the "magic" of not being Trump.

[Gummy_Cluster]

@Red_Arrow

Lock horns with me and you'll lose. I'll mop the floor with you. Bring it.

[Gummy_Cluster]

@AngryCarl2

That's what all the idiots say. How did an IQ of dirt win the primary?

[exitseven]

Yes, that list could go on and on.

[Gummy_Cluster]

The list gets longer everyday. The Dems are looking to dump him, and I seriously doubt Mr. Brandon will finish the term. I feel so sorry for Jill.
This is the leader of the free world.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BuSoigCk5QQ

[lightbulb27]

He is instantly focusing on the #1 issue I have. He is saying what the right wants to hear and given his past, he will do what he says... if he can. He was stopped cold last time around changing education.

Here's an example: This will be a battle, but it's the right one if want to save the kids... and the country.

https://www.youtube.com/embed/EdOR880Ribo

Couldn't get in the seat soon enough.

[tfan1]

Hell yes! We need President Donald J Trump back in command again ASAP! This world is going to hell in a hand basket and even though bonehead biden is in the spotlight - pull back the curtain and you will see it’s the antichrist hiding in plain sight controlling all of this schit - oBlahma!

[DryGermanGuy]

"Fuck him and everyone that looks like him."

- George Carlin

[exitseven]

George carlin was a classic.

[DizzyDesii]

Dont give af about him. I’ll continue not voting for either of the main parties

[exitseven]

Give peace a chance.

[DizzyDesii]

Peace comes from those that are often not candidates of the main parties (or any party). I’ll keep doing what i’ve always done

[AviatorTom]

I have nothing against Donald Trump, but I'm hoping for new blood in the White House in 2025. Let Joe and Donald enjoy their retirement.

[tfan1]

Hell yes! I am always happy to see President Donald J Trump! 🙏🇺🇸❤️👍😃

[OddBeMe]

Wait I thought I was old news? Living free in my head?

[exitseven]

He made two campaign stops. One in New Hampshire and the other in South Carolina.

[msc545]

I sort of hope he is nominated and run because that means that Biden will win. Again.

[exitseven]

If the election was today the latest poll picks Trump and most polls are slanted to the left.

[gorydetails]

You’re anticipating the democrats cheating again?

[exitseven]

@gorydetails Trump hinted that he will not run the same campaign he ran the last time. Elections have changed and hopefully the Republicans can change with it.

[inhua]

not sure about happy but he was going to show up regardless

[Dargil]

Not sure I want another term for him, but yes, anyway.

[sage2021]

Unfortunately I didn't know it was on. I saw just a small piece of it on the news. I am always happy to see and listen to what he has to say. At least with Trump I don't feel like he should be in a nursing home like with Biden.

[Anonymous]

The script of lying and criminal behavior? Probably will. Yes.

[gorydetails]

He let Fauci and Birx run free and was a big advocate of the clot shots. He's lost my support for President.

[exitseven]

He did trust the wrong people at times but he was in uncharted territory with covid and I think he was trying to cover all the bases.

[gorydetails]

Doesn't matter. We knew by May that the whole thing was a sham.

[Fuentes]

Trump 2024 🇺🇸

[PatriceONeal]

Always happy to see Donald

[PatriceONeal]

@nightdrot You claim trump caused divisiveness in our country when the correct response should be thankfulness to him for showing the shadow government in the social media and national journalists. The fact you missed all that and say he's at fault is exactly why I call you a Rino. Republican in name only. Your response to trump is 100% in line with the woke majority of modern society. Orange man bad. You did say he inherited the economy then soon after claimed you didn't say that. Seems you just want to signal virtue, as they say

[PatriceONeal]

@nightdrot hey stop arguing with me after you've blocked me you 59 yr old coward.

[CaptainSmartass]

Bloody hell...

Simples...