Donald Trump ascends to the presidency with no one having a neutral opinion about him. Half the country awaits his becoming president with the eagerness of the people of Paris awaiting the advent of the liberating allied armies in 1944. The other half regard his presidency with the same dread as the people of the same city did the arrival of the Nazis in 1940.
Truth to tell Trump will be neither messiah nor Hitler. He is a man with more than his share of character flaws. He is rude, crude, socially unacceptable, give to impulsive acts, and of tweeting and saying outrageous statements.
He does not drink nor take drugs, but he has not lived an altogether chaste life, even while married.
On the other hand, Trump has proven to be a politician of rare cunning. When he descended the golden escalator of the Trump Tower more than a lifetime ago to announce his candidacy, no one gave him much of a chance. But a year and a half later, he has become president of the United States.
Trump’s post-election record does give a reason for hope. His cabinet selections have been, on the whole, sensible. His proposed policies, with certain exceptions, have been likewise. Some concern exists about his attitudes toward Russia and how far he is prepared to go on trade. But, policy-wise, his presidency promises to be light years better than his predecessor’s/
Trump will be the first proof of the idea that a businessperson, with an entrepreneur’s experience, will be able to bring a new perspective to American governance.
Wendell Willkie ran and failed on that platform in 1940. So did Ross Perot in 1992 and 1996. Trump will have a chance to put the supposition to the test.
Trump will have some obstacles to overcome. The mainstream media not only opposes him; it hates him. Likewise so does the much diminished Democratic Party and much of the American people, especially in blue states.
George W. Bush and Ronald Reagan were much beloved compared to Trump.
Will Donald Trump make America great again? The only answer as of this writing is that Trump has been underestimated before, much to the discredit of those doing so. So one should not bet against his success, which would be a good thing.
