From "Hope and Change" to Change of Hope

It's too late for this guy in the ring, but not so for those who still proclaim their support of Trump. I'm not hearing so much of the "you lost/we won the election" rhetoric now that we're realizing that we ALL lost the election. The frighteningly incompetent Trump team and the surprisingly dysfunctional Republican "leadership" create an organizational vacuum where progressives' worst fears aren't being realized, while the conservatives and neocons are realizing that their hopes are being dashed by those same dynamics, or lack thereof.

Those of us who can need to make/take the opportunity to create a merciful intervention with family and friends who are desperately holding on to their Trump loyalty. Many were well-meaning, disgusted with bipartisan inertia in Washington, watching as good jobs evaporated and feeling fearful and hopeless as our education system failed to equip them to meet the changing dynamics of globalization, automation and new technologies. Many found themselves with low-paying jobs with lesser or no benefits. They had every right to be angry and hopeful for change.

Trump To The Rescue

We're realizing now that Trump was, as many suspected, the least qualified of the candidates of any Party. But, while most of us and the pundits missed the significance of the Trump momentum, Bannon, Kellyanne, et.al got our number, out-Roved Rove and put the shuck on the whole Country. Or at least enough of us to get him elected. The press got suckered into the spectacle, became starstruck and traded journalistic integrity for ratings.

Trump's handlers gave him real issues such as immigration, poor trade deals, healthcare and regulatory issues, crafted outlandish campaign promises, and used Trump's charisma and anti-Washington rhetoric to win over the angry, the ill-informed and many partisan loyalists (your friends and mine) who felt they had nowhere else to go. Hillary and Bernie were not options for them. And we and they thought they'd won. 

Trump And His "Base" Meet Reality...Campaigning Meets Governance

I'm one of many who think Trump never really wanted to be President. He just loves to win, hated being dissed by Obama at the D.C. Press Event and figured this would be the ultimate brand enhancer. As he recently admitted, he had no idea how hard it would be. And, he always thought he'd have plenty of minions to do the heavy lifting. That's where we've all had our reality check.  It so happens that Trump's anti-Washington group of ragtag mavericks haven't enough experience to run the shop. And all the Executive Orders that initially thrilled his "base" are falling on deaf ears and on empty desks because their "shake up government" approach has also included not appointing/hiring agency staffers who could get stuff done. A famous cartoon character might say,"Duh!"

But, that's not the worst of it. Trump's campaign bombasity was a pretty good predictor of our  current experience with administrative dysfunction. However, after 8 years of obstructionist efforts against Obama initiatives, with incessant touting of how much better they would govern when given the chance, the R's won everything and have out-fizzled a fizzling roman candle as they've dramatically demonstrated their not-ready-for-primetime governance. McConnell, Ryan, Cornyn, et.al were merciless in denouncing anything Obama, but when Trump needed assistance and counsel relative to healthcare, immigration, tax reform, infrastructure, etc. they had no game at all. And, in fairness, we haven't seen any Democratic leadership to step up and help. Still too many bipartisan critics, too few progressive leaders.

So, How About An Intervention? And Challenge for Us All...

Trump's "base" is dwindling, but still blindly loyal. Trump is the most unproductive and unpopular first-term President in recent history. He's earned that by his performance. And that gives us a big boost with our friends and family intervention. When they say that he's doing a great job and keeping his promises, calmly ask them to explain their continued loyalty. Ask them the specific examples of how he's helped them or the Country. They'll catch themselves. Share with them one of the many objective assessments of his legislative failures, judicial reversals and generally ineffective photo-op Executive Orders. He's being marginalized by an increasing number of his own party, is constantly having staff and Cabinet members correcting his misstatements, and the press have now got HIS number. He's alienated the media, intelligence community and judiciary. It's NOT great to be his kind of King. How he'll fall is yet to be determined, but he's speeding that process. Let's quit wasting so much time and energy worrying about him. 

 Let's Do More Than Resist and Gloat...

We've got work to do in our communities and State. And we need all the help we can get. We know that we of many stripes and political ideologies have most values in common. We want our children to be educated for changing job possibilities, to live in safe neighborhoods, to have clean air and water, parks to play in and opportunities for creative expression. This in communities that honor diversity and inclusion. And we need to elevate all who've been displaced by ineffective education or government at any level.

Rather than continuing to waste our energy in unproductive bickering, let's seek opportunities to invite some of our political adversaries for lunch or a drink to see if we might find some common ground, learn from each other and enhance our potential for constructive civic engagement. We might surprise ourselves when we model civility, diplomacy and invitation to counter prejudice, snarkiness and unproductive exclusion. Our community organizations will benefit from different opinions and more representative dynamics.

Our Intervention Starts With Our Friend In The Mirror...

I'm not saying we should spend much time on ideological conversion, but these times do present those opportunities. We can LISTEN better, appreciate other points of view, affirm or modify our own and know that we'll grow in the process. And we might help others and create or strengthen friendships. That can only be positive. There's entirely too much animosity in many community and political conversations. Let's strive to model better. We'll all win in the process. LET'S MOSEY!