It laughable that you would think Trump is “resetting” anything.
How many time have we heard that?
All he has to do is not act like a complete moron for 10 minutes and we believe he’s more presidential.
People can be such fools
16
Your trick reminds me of Chamberlain trying to turn his sad delusion of having"appeased" Hitler into a virtue. Yeah, It might get better! We all live in hope and Faith! This is really touching Ross, like hoping the crazy uncle really isn't crazy because, Look! for some reason, he didn't lose his mind at dinner last night! Last night was a tacky, kitschy, vaudevillian performance pitch perfect for the tin-eared republicans, and a few delusional others. Saner minds need to carry on the struggle for a functional democracy.
9
Any delusions that your one time or another efforts at having an open mind about politics and bias, are thrown from the train with the title of your piece today suggesting a successful time in office for the international embarrassment, Trumpty Dumpty.
2
My eyes are rolling......nice try though.
3
No, we didn't glimpse anything other than a man reading from a teleprompter; badly. I am a Republican, veteran, former NRA member (tossed that card after Sandy Hook), white, middle age male. I am Trumps perfect demographic. Even I know better than to think he is anything but a racist, bigoted, idiotic excuse for a human being. In the Army we referred to people like Trump as a "waste of oxygen". I can't believe you don't see this.
20
A successful presidency? He is a pig who demeans women and all people with his remarks and his arrogant predatory behavior. It is insulting for you to say that he can be successful.
8
Some reset. An olive branch in one hand and a knife ( partial Memo) in the other.
More Narcissistic crazy making.
5
the tax cut, bad, Obamacare repeal, bad, immigrant policy, bad, EPA repeal, bad, nuclear flirtations, bad, -- what's good again?
5
There can be no reset on what is Trump's intrinsic personality traits, in particular his dishonesty and ignorance. He lies and then he lies about lying and then lies when he is called on the lies. No words coming out of his mouth can be believed even if you think he should mean them. His attempt at a reset is a lie. He will lie about even trying for a reset and then he will lie just so you don't remember the last lie he told. No matter that he can move a few people with his lies, they probably tire of fighting against so many lies. He will remain the same with his dishonest and ignorance and he will lie about that too.
9
Ross, I read what you write with utter consternation. You talk about Trump possibly having lost the chance to reach across the aisle when he has lied to, betrayed, and vilified, every Democrat who has tried to honestly negotiate with him. Worse, you state that: "apart from the Islamic State, North Korea and Guantánamo Bay, the foreign policy section was … strikingly empty." Yes, any normal politician, any normal person, would have spoken about the rest of the world. However, Trump is not normal; his silence means something. He's a narcissist of very limited intellect, (just ask his own advisers). He's forever aggrieved, focusing on any perceived slight. His remarks on foreign policy weren't about foreign policy any more than his attacks against Marco Rubio or Hillary Clinton were about domestic policy or what was best for America. They were about revenge. Trump focused on what was important to him personally; destroying North Korea's Kim Jong-un because he mocked Trump. Trump can't use Fox news or whip up his base to get Kim. So Trump is keying up The US for a Nuclear War with Korea for one purpose; he wants to get revenge on Kim and thereby prove he's the winner and Kim’s the loser. It's that horrifically simple, and why Trump is so profoundly dangerous. As was made plain in the Times piece you shared with David Frum about his book "Trumpocracy" you're in a total denial about what Trump is and the incredible danger he poses. Wake up before it's too late.
9
America first! Make America Great Again! Trump's expensive shabby suits along with most of the MAGA /U.S.A. caps and Ivanka's shabby sheik accessories continue to be produced off shore. The First Lady, Melania, has, yet, to wear an outfit by an American designer. No shame and loads of hypocrisy.
6
Spouting platitudes read from a teleprompter is not my idea of a successful speech.
5
Nothing wrong with a reset of a 72-year-old man with a lifelong history of pathologic lying and opportunistic swindling of anyone who crosses his path.
You have to be a confirmed optimist bordering on institutionalization to believe this will succeed, though.
9
Interesting column Ross. You are doing your best to understand this demagogue.
As good analysis as any.
Remember Ross, demagogues throughout history from the first one Alcibedes in classic Greece to the last one Chavez in Venz. made a big, populist splash only to eventually ruin their country.
Think about this Ross. You are a student of history. That is all I ask.
2
Mr. Douthat,
No.
Cheers,
SSG
2
Trump is a pathological liar, with a long history of telling people what they want to hear; and a longer history of doing whatever he wants in pursuit of his financial or psychological agenda. Including what may be illegal activity, based on the depth of the Meuller led investigation.
To date, he is riding a wave of wealthy admirers who buy stock, and like getting tax cuts.
Beyond that, he's done little. Or nothing.
4
In other news, trained hamster manages to plink out "Silent Night" on tiny keyboard. The beginning of a sensational musical career? We'll let you be the judges.
3
I don't why understand why anyone in his right mind is still expecting this horrible man, who has been horrible his whole life, to suddenly straighten out and fly right. It is beyond delusional.
7
So, let's see what it takes to have a successful presidency as seen by Trump.
1) you give everyone money, except, of course, wealthier or even middle class voters from Blue states
2) you hand money to corporations and create regressive taxes favoring the wealthy...you bribe the stock market to go higher with the "newly found" increased earnings of lower taxes
3) you appoint a conservative judge (violating Obama's right to select one)
4) you tear apart regulations and the EPA
5) you tout the workers and come off as populist
6) you hurt a funding source for Obamacare, the mandate
Bravo, bravo, bravo....right up there with FDR and Abe Lincoln in greatness...belongs on Mt. Rushmore for sure...the most accomplished by any president...EVER...applause, applause, applause...
4
It requires almost delusional optimism and frank denial of reality to imagine, even for a moment, that Trump hasn't already shown us who he is: supremely and even pathologically narcissistic, occasionally neo-facist, amoral, sociopath incapable of sustained attention on anything that does not offer a personally gratifying return on investment (very quickly). His ability to inhibit his baser instincts long enough to read a teleprompter for an hour - for the state of the union speech (where a good performance would be hugely rewarding from an ego perspective) in no way mitigates everything else he has shown us about who he is - over and over again. As Maya Angelou would suggest - believe him.
2
"Turn-out the lights, the party's (and party==GOP) over."
1
This is the truth: "[T]he possibility of that success (governing as a populist President willing to deal with both sides of the aisle) has probably already slipped from this administration’s grip. It sure has. Trump won't change, he will continue to sow the seeds for his own self destruction; he's already harvesting some of the crop he sowed in the first months of his Fascist reign of terror.
4
OMG Ross. You can't be serious. A successful presidency? Was it the standing erect for 90 minutes and not passing out from exhaustion? Was it the reading from the teleprompter for 90 minutes and only mispronouncing a few words? Lifting a glass of water to his mouth with one hand? Do you think Trump is invested in anything that was written for him in that speech? Low bar. Very low bar, Ross.
2
Trump is a dishonest, disloyal, amoral person who trafficked in racist conspiracy theories and colluded with a hostile government to get elected.
The rest is noise.
6
Anything that requires regular resets ends up breaking down and needs to be replaced
3
There is one more line to be added at the end of the last sentence, "and he will not be running against Hillary Clinton or anyone under investigation by the FBI this time."
3
Trump and Kelly and Nunes stomp on the Constitution every day, but Trump has to insult some NFL players who are kneeling during the national Anthem for civil rights.
7
The economy is good for people who own stocks and/or have secure, good-paying jobs. Everybody else? Not so hot. But Trump and his handlers don't care about Everybody else, so never mind. Trump is a disgusting piece of barely human trash that somehow blew its way into the Oval Office. Nobody thinks he is a good person, though he does prove the adage, "In America, anybody can grow up to become President." He is just the loudest voice at the moment in a large mob driven to and fro by fear and hate. You can motivate more people with fear than with anything else. That's built into our biology. Trump has done it. To see the smug smiles on the faces of Pence and Ryan last night was bad, but for now we just have to sit and take it. As we did in the Reagan years. Mean-spiritedness and greed are also abundant in our makeup, and right now, they're driving the bus. Toward a cliff, but whatever.
6
We must have watched a different speech. All I saw was the same racism, fear-mongering, pandering, fear-mongering, xenophobia, and fear-mongering tied up with a very sloppy bow.
2
Re-set? DNR. I am exhausted.
4
Missing from Trump’s speech was Joe Wilson. He missed his cue.
2
Trump, Paul Ryan, Mike Pence, Devin Nunes are on a fast track to ignominy. In a few years Trump will be a bad memory, and if this country is not as hapless as it currently appears, a cautionary tale leading to more reasonable voting behaviour.
No, there won't be any buildings named after these folks, though there may be a few adjectives they have given their names to. These folks are nothing less than treasonous and will have a special place in the history of US political rogues.
4
*Sigh* Another "Trump Reset" column.
The man is not a normal president, because he is not a normal person.
3
The best I can say about Trump’s speech is it is the only time that he did not sound like a Robot when reading from a TelePrompTer.
1
Trump is deplorable. It will go down as the worst Presidency in US history if judged by the standards of the Founders.
3
Dream on, a "revived Trump administration". I've begun a campaign to teach my progeny about the evil that is the Republican Party. The entire party is complicit in supporting the most vile and unqualified individual ever to be the President of the United States.
We're looking at a multi-generational movement now to see Republicans as almost the proverbial "root of all evil". They're giving Satan a run for the money.
3
I didn't recognize much concrete in the president's speech, nor in this column.
3
Obama left office with an approval rating of 60%. Trump will not come even remotely close to what Obama accomplished and he knows it. Keep thinking Trump will morph into something other then the narcissistic con-man we on the left all know he is and will always be. He fooled you Ross. He is not gonna change.
3
There may be a few things more pathetic than a conservative apologist desperately grasping at some glimmer of justification and hope for an incompetent president and his failure of an administration, but they escape me at the moment.
Give it up. There are no more lifeboats on this Titanic and it is headed fast for the bottom of the North Atlantic.
7
That was no reset. This was the Trump that his supporters know and liked (at least more than Hillary). The outrageous behaviors and tweets compiled by the mainstream media, while authentic, are not representational and not what got him elected (at least directly... pulling the establishment's chain has served him well.)
The message I took away is that Trump is planning on just coasting to the mid terms while continuing to let the senate and congressional gop leaders figure out immigration and infrastructure. He’s basically saying that the second season of his show won’t be worse than the first.
"We glimpsed a potentially successful presidency."
Not in the most bizarro of universes.
7
You.
Can't.
Be.
Serious.
Trump asked for a reset, by asking everyone to adopt his positions on all issues. "We can agree to compromise, when you all agree with me!"
4
When not going off script is the criterion for being Presidential, the bar cannot get any lower than that. His address was just a phony speech written by his very "experienced" 32 yr. old phony advisor, Stephen Miller - no substance, no plan, no policy, divisive, foreign policies that only make enemies and snubbing our allies. The speech was not of achievements but an utter lack of it, leading Americans into surreal world of insecurity, doubt and real fear. What should have been a rallying cry for unity and hope ended up Americans going numb, horrified about what was in store for us. Trump has burned all bridges and started fires where there were none. No going back from travesty was the message I got.
6
Sadly but on par with the quality of a response to the State of the Union by a Democratic politician is measurable by the public's reaction.
People and the media, were probably talking about the Chap stick gleaming around the corners of Joe Kennedy III's mouth than the context of his rhetoric...
1
No Russ, what we witnessed (and I admit I'm not the first to use this analogy) is an active and abusive alcoholic husband and father who manages to sober up enough for a family meal, and the family thinks he's turned some kind of a corner--only to see him go back to his destructive and abusive ways the following day.
And what do you mean by "conceded control of his agenda to Paul Ryan and Mitch McConnell, when those two sorry excuses for a member(s) of Congress are his chief enablers?
2
This speech, which Trump's adult daycare givers wrote for him, and the mindless reactions to it were so predictable. If Trump could change, it would have happened a long time ago. But he thrives on chaos and creating conflict which sadly has been the winning formula for a large portion of the U.S. public. As long as the economy is good, most people do not care.
1
If Trump were president of Michigan State, he’d have been forced to resign. But, instead, he’s president of the USA, and GOP gives him standing ovations.
6
To be fair to President Trump (and to his Party) - there are reasons to be hopeful. The American economy is still improving. The world hasn't erupted into nuclear war. Those are enough reasons to be optimistic.
But one long speech does not remake a Presidency.
There are millions of Americans who are waiting to see if President Trump really wants to bring this country together. There are billions of people around the world who are waiting to see if the President really does not want to start a war in Korea.
So depending on who you ask, last night's speech was a step in the right direction. Or maybe it is not. One thing is for sure, though - President Trump has a long way to go to convince this country - and the rest of the world - that he is Presidential.
1
Trump (the citizen, candidate, husband and president) is always trying for a "reset."
Trump reaps the benefits of a venture but doesn't want to pay his financing debt. "RESET" (x4-6). Bankruptcy wipes away the deals he never intended to honor anyway. Contractors perform under their deals with Trump, but he suddenly doesn't like the cost of their services. "RESET." He forces them to accept pennies on the dollar or go out of business fighting his frivolous law suits.
Trump is not willing to take responsibility for his life of self-indulgence and immorality, but wants the obedience of the Christian right. "RESET." Have any of his evangelical enablers ever extended such "mulligans" and tolerance as they have to Trump? The church's existential crises regarding the sanctity of marriage? "RESET" (x3). Praise the Lord and pass the pre-nups! It's a new Gospel!
Trump promised to release his tax returns. "RESET." Conway now laughs (literally laughs) at anyone who bought that. Trump prophesied to the nation that Mexico would foot the bill for a $25B+ wall. "RESET." He now acts is if WE promised HIM funding and the Dreamers are his collateral. The stock market was a "bubble" during the Obama years. "RESET." Now it's the result of Trump's "genius." The recovering jobs numbers were a "hoax" during Trump's campaign. "RESET." Now they're "very real." His transition team was a well-oiled "machine." "RESET." Now he says it was chaos and he didn't see nothin'. #MAGA
5
What is the Dem message to Dreamers? Seems like it's "Even though we did nothing in 2009 (when we had 60 Senators) we'll do something someday. Be patient. Vote Dem." How will Dreamers respond? "OK"? or "We've been patient. We need action now. Whatchu got?"
If Trump's proposal on Dreamers per se is good enough, will that increase pressure on Dems, almost regardless of what else is in there? Can"stability now and citizenship before long" create that pressure?
Please, enough with these tired "Reset" headlines. The only reset button will be on the teleprompter when its hit to roll through the next vacuous speech written by Stephen Miller. As tweeter in chief, Trump will never rise to the occasion of his office.
2
You are totally lacking in political awareness if you think for one minute that those of us who have resisted Trump’s efforts to turn our Nation away from its democratic principles into a special place for the well-connected and rich will stand. There cannot be and will never be a reset: we oppose Trump and everything he and his family-run, corrupt administration stand for and we will not be deterred by his false attempts to call for unity after he has sowed division. Think midterms.
5
Apart from slavery, our treatment of Native Americans, the Great Depression, 9/11 and our wars, he is the worst thing that has ever happened to this country.
I’d like to think that the worst of him is already over, but I see no actual signs of it.
5
Trump's call to arrogate power to summarily fire federal workers should frighten and horrify liberals and conservatives alike. That's not what happens in a stable democracy, that's what happens in an autocracy.
1
Huh. I didn't expect to like anything about the speech. But, if I'm honest with myself I did. I did not like the democrats' response to much of it because if you can't even approve of low unemployment, economic growth and the military, you don't belong in government no matter what your partisan outlook is. I fear that the democrats are doing what the republicans have always done best - stepping on their own...feet.
Did anyone notice that his face and eyes were pointed mostly toward the Republicans, sometimes toward the cameras, and almost not at all towards the Democrats? Not a bipartisan stance.
Dream on, Ross. You do know the definition of insanity, right?
5
"Trump tries for a reset" "potentially successful presidency" - nope.
Some regard it as successful already - they're already getting what they want (tax cut, heightened partisanship (benefits those with a stake in it), making hate and nastiness great again, making bullying of 'others' great again, killing off of regulations so they can do whatever they want while being great, childish laudatory comments about a fictitious country (their 'merca) and how much better things are now because of the above) and as long as the consequences don't affect them negatively and obviously, or they don't realize it, they're happy.
As for the rest of us, there are those who are hopeful but will be disappointed and not understand any more than they did when they voted for Trump, and those of us who never liked him and did not vote for him; he has no chance of winning these 2 groups over, of having a truly successful presidency in terms of bettering these people and the country. He's not the right person as shown by his behavior and temperment, his policies en masse are wrong; ditto for the legislative branch and some of the judiciary.
7
@Me. You're why Trump won.
Trump is doing a good job cleaning up the mess left by Obama. He was elected despite the bad press. It looks like the media is trying again to attack his accomplishments. Good luck with that! History will repeat itself
6
Although having plain folks with heart-wrenching stories in the gallery has become a staple of SOTUSs, never have I felt that these Americans were being shamelessly exploited as much as I did last night.
And when 45 brought up the specter of MS-32 and mentioned a "loophole," I thought he was going to address gun violence. Silly me.
5
A pretty good summary of where this presidency resides, Ross. Watching it was just a little bit beyond total boredom, except for the heartbreaking moments where we saw Trump make a solid attempt at something like compassion, but with the reality that this president doesn’t have a compassionate bone in his body.
So it will be up to McConnell, Ryan, and Schumer to work something out. Nancy Pelosi looked like she didn’t belong and didn’t want to be there, mostly because she doesn’t belong and didn’t want to be there.
It was an all-beige portrait of America he painted. Where will we get out motivation for a better USA and a better world? From much younger people who are actually enthused about helping to craft their own future, a future without Trump, McConnell, Ryan, Schumer, Pelosi - and their followers.
And while we are all victims of this dictator wannabe, let’s acknowledge how hard this must be on his wife, who by all appearances is a much, much better human being than her spouse, living in a twilight zone. I know, I know - she made the decision to marry him. That doesn’t mean we can’t feel sorry for her, and for ourselves.
2
For the first time in my life I didn't watch the SOTU address. I just couldn't bring myself to watch it. Reading the article and these comments assures me I made a good decision.
7
@George. Fortunately it's recorded and probably not difficult to find. Please watch it. Extraordinary. Especially the stories. Extraordinarily moving.
After the craziness of this last year you'll perhaps feel better, even relieved, seeing how our fellow citizens elected a decent, compassionate, and unvarnished person as president of these United States. The system didn't fail.
I watched it. One should always know his or her enemies.
On a lighter side, while I was watching Trump, I wanted to test the effectiveness of my new hypertension med. 126 over 76!!! Pretty good despite the Orange.
2
I watched it and I am assuming your comments are satirical - that is about Trump, not the people in the stories.
1
There is no reset, just as their is no coherent policy or agenda; even on immigration. What Trump might want to do will be thwarted by an aide like Stephen Carter, or by his own paranoia about what his base, or the folks at Fox News are telling him to do.
There is no agenda for this country. Why, after a full year in office, does anyone believe there is an agenda for our nation? The only agenda, is one created minute-by-minute to assure the ego of the narcissist is taken care of at that minute. And that agenda, is solely in the mind of Donald J. Trump.
4
Still puzzled by the reset idea. A speech full of immigrant baiting, a vision of the world entirely based on us vs. them, phrases like "our wealth has been stolen".
3
If you do away with enough regulations that are designed to protect your citizens from predatory financial institutions and predatory polluters and predatory businesses, of course you can make the stock market inflate.
6
All the major exchanges such as the FTSE, Nikkei 225, and DAX are all in record territory. The idea that Trump or his cutting regulations has any impact on the performance of the NYSE is laughable.
2
I didn't watch, and I usually do. I figured, if I wanted to hear gas and see manure, I can go outside and watch the cows in my neighbors field
Only 278 days until some balance can be restored, and about 1000 days until we can eject Mr. Trump from office.
8
Trump as usual was able to blow his own horn so loudly that reality seemed to disappear.
Under all that noise is playing a steady low tune of:
- judicial seats going to the extreme right and often incompetent people,
-State dept without resources or people, the childish belligerent behavior towards NATO, allies and any relationship that the previous admin cultivated,
-complete bowing out to China and its hegemonic plans,
-Justice dept run by a lackey who is threatening states and undermining justice for all,
- the cynical use of children's health to manipulate to Dems,
- the cynical use of desperate people in this country escaping poverty or worse, political injustice to whip up the phobic fears of a portion of the country that is not likely to read statistics or sort fact from fiction,
- using the office to enrich his family,
- complete abdication of responsibility to work for the people of the United States who require a well run bulwark against the tyranny of the super rich corporations who want no responsibility towards their customers or employees - and so on
However, the worst point not mentioned in any news report is that Trump is a man with no allegiance to the country or office he holds. Winning the election game was his only goal. He used every tool at his disposal - hate speech, fear, foreign interference, vigilantly justice - regardless of the harm those tools would do to the nation.
Trump is an island unto himself. The rest of us are of no importance.
5
Repeat after me Ross: Paul Ryan wants to destroy Medicare and Social Security. He does not want to reform them.
Say that as many times as necessary to wash the words "entitlement reform" from your mind.
If you choose you can add: Paul Ryan is among the top 10 phonies ever to infest the Congress.
8
I voted for Hillary!
I volunteered for Hillary in one of the swing states and I live on the other side of the country.
At this moment, if you asked me who was going to win the election for the President in 2020, I would have to unfortunately say Donald Trump!
Schumer and Pelosi are not effective leaders on the other side. They are in their 70's and should retire and bass the baton to the next generation.
I'm afraid Elizabeth Warren will run in 2020 and the far left candidate that sounds so great in Cambridge and Berkeley will not be able to gain voters in the middle where elections are won and lost.
Bottom line - Trump may not be the best President but the democrats better come up with a new, better candidate (someone much better than Hillary) or we will be faced with eight years of this guy.
3
Like all of us, Trump loves to be loved
Unlike most of us, Trump has uncanny emotional intelligence that will like cause a shoft in his rhetoric for a broader appeal.
We witmessed the inflection point last evening.
He has an uncanny lack of emotional intelligence. The only thing he shifts is replacing old lies with new ones.
1
Trump reads a speech well. I doubt he had much to do with the writing of the speech.
5
Ross, you're hoping for the best. Character dictates action and in the president regretfully character is lacking. We really have to hold our breath when Trump speaks, when he reads from a teleprompter we have to wait till he is free to tweet. He is a terrible person, with no scruples and he has been this way since he first came on the scene. Examine your Christian faith and look at his policies in that light.
3
What we glimpsed is someone who is able to read from a teleprompter. Nothing about that speech made me think we have a 'new' Trump.
3
Has anyone seen any criticisms of Trump by conservatives for using a teleprompter?
3
Oh, Ross...there's no reset for a lifetime conman. No one should make deals with him, not the right, not the left, not the center; not our allies nor our enemies, simply because he lies, defrauds and betrays like normal people eat and breathe.
8
A "reset" button, how big is it, his tiny fingers would get stuck otherwise.
2
"Trump effectively buried further efforts at Obamacare repeal by suggesting that the repeal of the unpopular individual mandate sufficed as health care policy" - How little you understand Ross. By repealing the mandate to buy health insurance, Trump and the Republicans are effectively extricating the gov't from the obligation to make sure there is affordable insurance to buy. Their solution for affordability is to have a law allowing insurance to be purchased 'across state lines', which in effect prevents states from imposing requirements on their citizens as to what kind of insurance products are available. Republicans want to ration healthcare by income class, and the way to do that is to pretend that not requiring insurers to cover certain things is doing consumers a favor, when in fact, it's only a favor if you don't get sick. For the wealthiest Americans, buying health insurance is a way of helping them protect their financial assets. The upper and middle class Americans who can afford to buy more substantial coverage will be subsidizing their peers, while poorer Americans who purchase bare bones coverage and don't qualify for Medicaid will be left deal with massive health care costs by either declaring bankruptcy or forgoing healthcare coverage.
Harsh, yes, but as you know coverage costs money. Money that could be better spent enriching investors.
2
The bottomless well of optimism on the part of conservatives regarding this presidency is truly astounding.
19
And our party nominated a candidate with the highest negative voter scores besides Trump? Talk about optimism!
1
Ah, but she has a working brain.
You wrote this column before the speech didn't you?
This is not the first time you have tried to normalize/apologize for Trump and his racism and policy failures. I wonder how many political firings and swipes at the media he will have to take before you realize that's a dangerous game. He's an authoritarian. Maybe I'm wrong in assuming you would not want an authoritarian to accumulate power?
16
There were no plans to address our actual problems, which in several cases he has made worse: Healthcare that is too expensive (he made it more expensive on the exchanges), healthcare coverage that leaves too many without insurance (he added 3 million to the uninsured), budget deficit that is unsustainable (he added $1.5 or more trillion to that over a decade), and inequality that is leaving too many behind (he made that worse, as the bottom 80% get about 35% of the benefit, less with spending cuts).
Instead, we get a rehash of blaming immigrants rather than blaming his base for voting against their own economic interests.
10
The State of the Union "speech" exploited individual Americans for partisan purposes. Trump could care less about these individuals and the values they exemplified through their actions. Unfortunately, these individuals allowed themselves to be means to an end to implement policies that are diametrically opposed to the humanity and empathy these individuals exude.
6
Unsuccessful on healthcare? Really?
President Trump succeeded in elimination the one thing that Republicans and Americans hated most about the ACA: The individual mandate. That is the piece of the legislation that forced you to buy insurance or pay a fine, even if you, the citizen, felt that you were better off without it.
On top of that, he got the tax cut and a very conservative judge on the supreme court. Oh, and stopped the Federal Government Machine from harassing businesses.
That is quite a list for 12 months.
5
Anyone who thinks they are better off without health insurance needs to have their head examined. However when that person who thinks they're better off without health insurance gets sick or injured and has to go to the hospital emergency room who pays for it then? You and I do Baron95.
3
I can't wait to take advantage of the lack of government interference and open a tire burning center next to your house.
1
Yes, if Donald Trump would just resign, the "reset" could start immediately,. He should admit that the totality of what he has done to our nation over the past year is treasonous. He can then take all the despicable GOP toadies in his administration with him.
9
If one is a supporter of Trump, then the speech was obviously a success. Trump stayed on the topic, was sober and "presidential" (except for the clapping for himself), and didn't veer off into crazyland. He didn't write the speech, either. However, those of us who loathe him didn't hear much of anything except cruelty and the targeting of dark-skinned people as either unwanted or as criminals and terrorists. What a vision for America. And of course he pandered to the hypocritical evangelical crowd by mentioning faith and family. He should talk! What a terrible example he sets for any man in the world. My verdict: about what I expected from an awful president. Wait a couple of days and the real Trump will emerge again...
14
Trump's swamp has no solid back up planners to put flesh on his boastful words.Their is no strong intellectual depth to this administration. Generals can go just so far in economic and political planning. Since this administration is anti-education, anti-science and anti-truthfulness it is headed for the garbage heap. Mr Trump is the truck driver.
7
A reset? Oh if it were that simple!
3
Goodness gracious give the re-set, the pivot, the now being presidential a rest. He read someone else's writing from a teleprompter without drooling or going off message. Whoa. He is what he is, has been like that forever, and is completely self-centered, unappealing, and amoral. No virtues there.
15
There's no resetting Trump. He's the same petulant spoiled child, the same egotistical bully he's always been. What I hope for is that Trump finally gets the comeuppance he's deserved for decades. Bob Mueller, I pray for you daily.
DD
Manhattan
7
Keep trying, Ross. Maybe you can rehabilitate this miserable man, but I really doubt it.
4
Ross, I suggest you read Frank Bruni's article. "The Fictitious State of Trump’s Fantastical Union." He got it right.
7
Apart from the Islamic State, North Korea and Guantánamo Bay, the foreign policy section was … strikingly empty.
This is America. Why does everything to Democrats always have to be about everybody else but? It's taking the sin of love of self a little too far sometimes.
5
Worry about your own house; it's on fire with corruption.
1
Ross Douthat is not a Democrat.
2
After all the ugly, hurtful things DT has said and done these last 18 months it's too late to forgive/forget. Even if he was kinder and gentler from now on some wounds would not fully heal. And guess what, he's never apologized for any of it. We have a monster who will only move our nation toward a more monstrous place and increasingly he has a cowardly, immoral party to enable him. This is the increasing evil of Murdoch, Koch bro., Mercer, and their all-too-many ilk.
55
i agree with you...but at the same time we somehow must find a way to work together in this country. Differences will always exist in a diverse and complicated country, but the reality is that we all live in the same country - and the same Planet.
President Trump says he wants to bring this country together. If he really cares about doing that, then he must humble himself and apologize for all the hostility and language he has used during his campaign and Presidency.
Earth to Douthat. Earth to Douthat. Try to grasp that that was a teleprompter you were listening to, lacking human passion, spewing formulaic pap manufactured by dogmatic apparatchiks, and free of even hints of meaningful policy proposals or of commitment to our democracy. The president will ultimately be judged by his actions (as well, of course, as his lies and intemperate outbursts), which to date are about as far from uniting our nation as one can get. He has spent a year digging himself into a very deep hole, and one single reading from a teleprompter cannot be the ladder he needs with which to climb out.
6
"This was the day Trump _potentially_ became presidential?"
Well, I suppose that is progress... Or not.
Reset!!!
You must be kidding. He is 71 years old. The only reset he is capable of is to cut and comb his hair like a normal 71 year old man, instead of wearing it like a moving birds
's nest.
9
We're now at the point where, if the President of the United States can read from a teleprompter for one speech without making blatant hurtful, racist, sexist or divisive comments, we see glimpses of a successful presidency. Sad!
11
Ross, you actually think a life-long, proven grifter can at all be trusted? Seriously?
7
"A potentially successful presidency"?? One word, Ross: "Complicit." Remember that in the years ahead, will you, please? Meanwhile, shame on you.
8
Conservative columnists remind me of the hero of that old junior high school joke: an executive falls out of a window on the 79th floor of the Empire State Building, and as he passes the 45th floor, he shouts, "So far, so good."
5
It is appalling to me that if Donald Trump can get through a TelePrompter speech without drooling, he is somehow considered an American Cicero.
Where is my country?
NOT my president
10
Being able to read a boring speech that someone else wrote, without going off the rails is, for donnie, "huge". But he is still the racist, sexist, xenophobic, deeply offensive, and willfully ignorant grifter he's always been. He has no real ideas, no interest in ideas, and only knows how to appeal to his white supremacist base. He lives for the immediate cheer and the overnight ratings. Nothing else matters, or really exists for him. Other comments indicate he has outsourced the actual Presidency to Paul and Mitch. This will continue. Stand by for the crazed Twitter outburst. It's coming. It always is.
7
Never give a pathological liar the benefit of the doubt, especially when there is no doubt.
8
He read a speech, written by someone else, from a teleprompter. He'll be back to his toxic twitter litter and incoherent word salad soon.
6
Reset?
No, this was just another rally as far as Trump was concerned, an event where he got to lie and gloat and boast and be sure that there would be lots of standing ovations and clapping. Even his wife, the Offended Melania, had to do it. That is all it was to him.
To actually reset, he'd have to have some thought, some policy initiatives sufficiently worked on to be feasible. Trump doesn't think, and he certainly doesn't work. He golfs and reacts.
To achieve a reset, not only would Trump have to fundamentally change but his audience, the voters of the country, would have to do so as well. That will not happen. The 64% of us who believe that Trump is dishonest, criminal, vulgar, racist, sexist, hypocritical, unstable, stupid, incurious, corrupt, traitorous and never to be trusted to follow through on anything that does not benefit him personally have had daily evidence that we are right. He won't 'reset' and if he did, we wouldn't.
8
It is not and was not an attempt to press the "reset button"; it was, in fact, pressing the 'default settings" button, the default being Germany in 1938. The apps?: bragging app, bully app, ad-lib-app, self-applause app (selfie-app). To call this narcissist braggadoccio "president" is to define down the word "president" to the level of "state-paid hoodlum". Catholics might try to find something salvatory in him, but: there is no there there. The sooner he shuffles off, the better off the planet.
6
Ross Douthat: Blind, deaf, & obtuse. Shame on you. A "successful presidency" for a Russian-controlled president = disaster for our country.
6
So, I guess your definition of "successful" is starting a war that could devolve into World War III. Wow...your idea of what success is says to me that you're as unstable as the man who stood behind the podium last night and whose rhetoric terrified most of the people who listened to what he had to say.
4
“So to every citizen watching at home tonight — no matter where you have been, or where you come from, this is your time. If you work hard, if you believe in yourself, if you believe in America, then you can dream anything, you can be anything, and together, we can achieve anything.”
Translation:
“ …….. This is your time. If you game the system, exude an air of self-confidence, stick it to sub-contractors, enter Chapter 11 when no one else will lend to you, avoid paying taxes, then you can dream anything, even harass female victims with impunity and pay them off if necessary, you can insult minorities and consort with Nazis while pretending to love Jews, if you believe in my version of America, then you can dream anything, you can be anything, even President of the United States.”
5
Did you clap for yourself when you finished this piece, Mr. Douthat?
5
Trump is a career con man, and he is still conning people. Pathetic.
4
Please. He didn't drool on himself, or come out wearing a Swastika on his arm.. So Presidential!!
7
The Dow is spiking. You don’t add 1000 points in a nanosecond unless the market is frothy and heading for a fall. When, not if, that happens or Trrump as it has for other presidents, he will need to fall back on reserves of good will accumulated over time. See the problem? Trump is a one trick poney and when the market tumbles Trumpty Dumpty won’t have anyone to even try putting him back together. Trump and all of us are one Mueller report away from the abyss.
4
The NY Times should be ashamed of promoting this stale conservative babble over and over and over again.
6
Russ, we have not forgotten that the DACA crisis was precipitated by Trump when he ended the program. And the economy is doing well, but it is a continuation of the recovery begun in the Obama years aided by an improving world economy. Trump takes credit for it, but it is not his doing.
4
Recent Pew polling continues to show the more education a person has, the more likely they are to disapprove of Trump. With his base in mind, Trump will continue marching to the past of manufacturing, "clean" coal and assigning secondary status to all but white males.
Meanwhile, the opposition will continue to feel anger, resentment and disgust. Our best hope is that his supporters are dying off.
4
We have a president who just throws out any lie or false accusation at all and it is up to the other party to defend himself. Trump has done this his whole adult life as a sidestep for being accountable for his own words and deeds. If I just throw out lies and zany accusations everyone else will be busy defending themselves while I go along my merry Trump way. He backs up nothing with facts or evidence as the onus is always on the other party.
You can present him with truths and facts each time but he just ignores them and continues to throw out lies and unsubstantiated information. A hollow man. A man without substance just like his accusations have proven to be more times than not.
He is anti immigration of non whites so he will make sure to lie about the amount of crimes committed by immigrants. There was a time that you would be challenged for the truth of your statements and accusations, but no more. Trump lies and the WH administration swears to it as well as the majority of the GOP in Congress.
We have a man without substance, character, intelligence except for cunning, a moral compass, a love of America or its democracy, or a love of the diversity of Americans. We have a cardboard figure propped up by Kelly and the GOP.
5
Mr. Trump's "leadership" style reminds me of a drunk driving down the road with one hand on the wheel and his eyes looking on anything but the road. The point is that a crash is imminent.
4
I don't care if policy-wise Trump turns into FDR-Lincoln-Thomas Jefferson COMBINED. As a simply decent human being, Trump has demonstrated epic and disastrous unfitness for the office he diminishes and stains every day he occupies it.
6
So Ross Douthat, the religious moralist, calls for televised state of the union optics over the rule of law and the probity of institutionalists upholding our form of democracy -- and couches his version of "he looked [teleprompter] presidential" as a substantive transformation where there is nothing but showmanship.
4
Nobody but Scrooge ever changed over night. Trump is still vile, immature, racist, sexist, a bully, still has a limited vocabulary, and probably still hasn't read the Constitution of the United States. We still have a juvenile in the White House.
7
Mr. Douthat, this reaction is morally bankrupt. Successful Trump Presidency is an oxymoron. The notion that there is such a thing possible as a "successful Trump presidency" implies that a president's sole job is to get certain policies through regardless of collateral long and short-term damage to the constitutional structure of the country, illegal not to say immoral means, while throwing the most vulnerable to bloodthirsty supporters. By that standard, you could say that any despot who presides over a blip in the stock market or wheat production is "successful." By that standard, Kim Jong Il is successful because he's managed to set off a chain of nuclear tests and so far kept the West at bay. The very election of Trump is a failure of our institutions, our national security, and our national character.
7
A reset? Normalizing this 'presidency' is a grave error. As a nation we may never recover.
5
Too late for a reset. This presidency has been doomed from the moment Trump obstructed justice by cashiering Comey in order to abort the Russian probe. And don't hold your breath, Trump is not about to have a sit-down with Mueller. It will take a subpoena to do that, and Trump's scoffing at the constitution means he will never testify, either before Mueller or a grand jury. He suffers from the delusion that he's our king, not our president.
4
Mr Douthat's subtitle of Trump Tries for a Reset (we glimpsed a potential successful presidency) is like the captain of the Titanic saying he'll be able to negotiate that iceberg. Ross, put down those rose-colored specs. You and the rest of us are saddled with a sham of a president.
3
Saddest of all: all Trump has to do is promise one concrete thing and he's one up on the Democrats.
3
The real story is that his handlers used this national forum to point to people that do no usually keep up with the news that Trump is really very reasonable and that the left media has not been doing him justice. We will see how long this façade stays in place.
3
Full confession: I didn't watch the SotU. I can only watch so many of the things before I get a little cross-eyed.
But honestly, a one-night speech is not what I'm interested in at this juncture. Trump's inauguration speech wasn't half bad... and was followed up by a year of the most inane rhetoric I have seen in my lifetime.
So good for you Mr. Trump; put on a good show for an evening. Then let's see what you talk about over the course of THIS year...
2
Not so fast, Ross, not so fast...
It's amazing how optimistic Ross Douthat can crank himself up to be. Let's remember the words of the late, great Maya Angelou: "When someone tells you who they are--believe them."
Trump told us who he was before he was elected, and now Mr. Douthat joins those who just don't want to believe what they know.
6
His supporters say "Don't listen to what he says, listen to what's in his heart". As the late great Jackie Gleason used to say, har har hardy har har.
4
Mr. Douthat, your last paragraph makes a good point, but one I would disagree with. See, Donald Trump started off as a president that the vast majority of basically did not like. In fact 73 million voted for any candidate other than Trump, while only 63 million voted for him. That defined the long way he has to climb.
Worse though, he has alienated even more people than those who didn't vote for him, to the point that most of us despise Trump. The animosity is broad and deep. Put it like this: if we had the mechanism of a vote of no confidence available to us today, or if we could impeach him ourselves, Trump would be driven out of DC in a flash landslide.
He is not going to climb his way to basic likability. Hopefully whatever steps he takes will be cut short by law enforcement.
7
I liked this economy in 2016 as well, and for several years before that. It will be interesting to see how the story changes if there’s a major correction in the stock markets.
A "reset"? We have been here before, we see a Trump that looks presidential, willing to work with both sides, try to be bi-partisan, etc. Then come the inevitable tweets, the bombastic or the crudeness of Trump hour or a day or so later. Try as he might, Trump is way over his head as the nation's chief executive. And polls continue to show a decline in his popularity, support, fitness and handling the nation's direction. If he has not approached the low levels of Nixon or Hoover; he is getting close.
This op-ed tries to sugar coat the man who is Trump. Like a leopard, he cannot change his spots. Anything coming from Trump, is seen by most people, as just more lies on top of other lies. He is very insecure as a leader; it shows. And, insecure, and paranoid, leaders, in power, are at best destructive, and at worse, dangerous History is full of leaders like this.
As it stands now, if Trump does last to 20 January, 2021, he should be contained as much as possible. It si doubtful, that even if the Democrats get real majorities, in 2018, that they will not be able to impeach and remove Trump; they will be blocked by the GOP. Of course, if Trump finally crosses that laser thin line, he is now straddling, moderate GOP members could be swayed to evict Trump from office.
Trump is seen as damaged goods to most of the US population. No rest button is big enough to salvage this presidency.
7
You missed the part about dismantling the civil service. And how the Republicans went wild over that idea.
It all fits with the handover of the government to big business.
5
I thought that was what he proposed, but this potentially disastrous shift toward dictatorship seems to have slipped past most observers. To state that he will instruct cabinet officers to fire based on some ill-defined notion of something or other seems to foreshadow exactly what you suggest: dismantling of the civil service system in favor of pure cronyism. And Republicans generally seem fine with this.
3
My fellow Democrats are having a tough time admitting that the President generally got his speech right, and he kind of needs to be given a B+. He faithfully read the text prepared by his staff, and he resisted the temptation to divert from it with destructive ad-libs. The speech mostly resonated with lofty themes and, mostly, avoided divisive language.
But Mr. Douhat identifies the problem that is looming for the President. While he’s happy to take 100% credit for anything that is working in the U.S. now, almost all of which is the result of positive trends put in motion by President Obama and others, he really hasn’t DONE anything to make things better. He was elected because he did a much better job than the Democrats of appealing to disaffected middle class voters, who served as the swing vote in his narrow election. Except now, what has he done to improve their lot? So far, zip. Cutting their taxes by a couple of bucks isn’t what they were hoping for—they were more interested in getting better and more stable jobs, being able to send their kids to college, and things like that.
This group will likely again be the swing vote in 2020. The big question now is which party will go to bat for them, and then in 2020 will be able to convince them that they are the ones who are really on their side. The danger for President Trump will be to be unmasked as talking tough but failing to deliver. So he's great at saying things, but now he must DO things.
1
Trump and Reset do not go together, it is INCOMPATIBLE. Trump's policy is 'divide and rule' . By offering hate speech, he does not reset or any kind of bipartisanship. Bipartisanship is not in his DNA. Chaos and confusion is his name of the game.
1
A reset implies that you get to try again, to do it all over to see if you can succeed. Trump has certainly reset our American democracy. If there is a democrat landslide in November, we'll know that reset was a success.
3
A guy stood up and read words off a teleprompter. That's it. It was just noise: there is literally no point in listening to him, because he believes nothing, has no policy views, has no plans, cares not a whit about anything but how cool it is that people stand up and applaud him. Maybe in that moment he really wanted to, say, lower prescription drug costs. He forgot about it five minutes later. He has no idea how to do it, and nobody in his administration has any interest in making it happen. SOTU speeches don't mean much at the best of times; this one meant nothing at all.
5
The persuasive Mr Trump did convince me of one thing; I'll never stand for the national anthem again.
7
Trump added 234,000 jobs in January, way above expectations. Trump's government de-regulation and tax cuts are growing jobs so much faster than Obama did. More jobs mean more children, minority's, single mothers, elderly all have more food in their belly's which is a great thing. It's something we should all be happy about and thankful for.
Republicans did not want to acknowledge the deep hole Obama clawed the economy out of after his predecessor, and your comment demonstrates the continuing GOP effort to deny Obama credit for anything. You think that Obama and the Dems didn't want better lives for mothers and children? Yeah, that makes as much sense as promoting trickle-down economics as some salve for the poor -- which it has NEVER been.
Trump is funneling wealth to the 1%, who get massive tax cuts. The middle-class tax cuts were not designed to be permanent. Trump wants to spend billions on a wall; undermine health care; and spend more money on nuclear weapons (which we have more of than we need). Period, full stop, not fake news.
3
Jake, what exactly did President Trump do to add these jobs? The rate of job growth is continuing at the same pace as under President Obama. I'm not aware of any government regulations that he scaled back. And his tax cuts haven't kicked in yet.
You have put your finger on one of the major problems of having a President Trump--he does essentially nothing, yet claims full credit for anything good that happens in the world. This one's my favorite. We've been working for decades to improve airline safety, to the point where nobody has been killed in a commercial airlines crash for years. But when the latest statistics were released he claimed full credit for this, because it was all due to his "strict" airline regulations.
2
Jerry, Trump's government de-regulations and Trump's tax cuts have EVERYTHING to do with the economic growth going on. Stock market wealth creation is having a big impact as well. Just look at the NYT stock price. $9 when Obama got elected, 8 years later it's $11. In a little over 1 year under Trump, NYT stock is at $23 a share. That puts food on the table and keeps the lights on. Give him his due. Don't be a political racist and hate anything that doesn't have the word Democrat next to it.
The speech gave a glimpse of a successful Trump presidency and the Dems and Douthat are too blind to see it.
3
Yes, it certainly did. A successful Trump Presidency entails: thrilling the rich with impossible to defend tax cuts that mortgage the future, disenfranchising the citizens by ignoring every need of the Middle Class while throwing it pennies, wielding division & rancor for their value as psychological agitation, and putting on a crass sympathy dog & pony show.
1
We dems are standing on a literal mountain of evidence to the contrary. Maybe you should be the one getting your vision checked.
2
The polls show that FOLKS LOVED IT! Not you, Dems.
There's a sucker born every minute, and Mr. Douthat is the latest proof. Trump, a disaster of wrongness on every possible level, has one skill: he is a natural conman. And Americans with the a certain gene seem to fall under his sway easily.
Trump remains a liar and a racist with authoritarian aspirations. His vision for America would be the end of this republic. Reading carefully-worded lies off a teleprompter changes nothing.
53
Trump's reset was just a comb-over; he's still a liar, scammer, bully, and know nothing; one of the most obnoxious sanctimonious politicians ever; a used car salesman praising snake oil.
39
He could win again, and he could keep control of both houses, too. He is loathsome, but who in that chamber on the other side of the aisle is going to rise up and actually win, actually be a superior choice not just for urban educated whites and LGBTQ and black voters, but for people in other states, and places and situations? To beat Trump someone will have to run and will have to appeal to the 47% of America that will likely go back and vote for him again. Who will run? And no, Elizabeth Warren will not carry NH much less Ohio or Pennsylvania.
8
Who believes anything Trump says? Seriously.
22
“Who believes Trumps anyway?” Ah, roughly 60 million voters!
NO Resets
NO Mulligans.
At some point in the past year Trump crossed the red line .
Was it Charlottesville?
Was it the Comey firing?
Was it his personal attack on journalists and the media?
Was it his failure to protect us from the Russian attack?
Take your pick....and there is a plethora of other acts of ignorance.
He made his bed.....now he has to lie in it.
21
All Trump did last night was read a speech written by someone else. He had all the feeling of reading a script from his show 'The Apprentice'.
21
"There are many reasons — one for almost every tweet — that Trump arrived at his first official State of the Union address as a wildly unpopular president despite a reasonably strong economy, but his failure to follow through on his campaign’s populist promises is high on the list."
Mr. Douthat, this is nonsense. His failure to follow through on promises has alienated a small percentage of his base, which is itself a decided minority of the populace, which doesn't put them high on the list. Trump is unpopular because he's a liar, a racist, a violent reactionary, a cheater, a sexual assaulter, an ignorant imbecile, and completely unqualified for the job. Oh, and a personally offensive blowhard.
24
I didn't watch the Trump State of the Union Address because I can't bear to see him that long, and I had no doubt that nothing about him, or whatever he had to say has changed.
That's why any hope of a "reset", or "glimpse of a potentially successful presidency", has so far eluded me.
And as long as Donald Trump continues to play to his minority base of racists, white supremacists and the wealthy corporate elite, the realities of everyday Americans and the real state of the Union will not concern him in the least -- and any promise for 'bipartisanship' will vanish by the next hate-filled tweet.
There is nothing "new" about this American moment.
20
I challenge Trump right now to put his money where his mouth is:
Show his "love" by making certain that every single Trump Hotel in USA provides at least a couple dozen rooms for Puerto Ricans still living without electricity and without safe water.
Give them free rooms, laundry service and hotel meals for as long as their homes remain filled with black mold and lacking power and electricity,
Have the concierges help to get the children into local schools, too.
9
Like every good con-man he holds that bait out in front of you before he yanks it away and you realize you've been duped again. Why are you still giving ANY credence to this?
14
“… in the canny and sometimes moving choices of inspirational figures in the balconies, I suspect the speech was effective.”
Sorry, Mr. Douthat, the choices were more cynical than canny, and only those who confuse mawkish display with genuine human feeling could find any of this moving. What exactly was the point of inviting Otto Warmbier’s parents? Was this the “eye-opening” North Korea moment we were promised? Since Reagan introduced it, the tradition of inviting inspirational figures to SOTU has degenerated into self-parody -- the American version of Soviet agitprop with its cult of “positive heroes.” There were probably as many shout-outs to the balcony last night as in all of Obama’s addresses. When Trump was asked during one of the presidential debates if he could give any examples of personal sacrifice, he was plainly at a loss, but as president he’s discovered the uses of vicarious valor. All those heroic cops, military and border patrol agents are props for his frail ego, but also his way of drawing a line between genuine Americans and the rest of us. Unifying message, indeed. The use of grieving relatives to score political points is utterly beyond the pale. If all this suffices to boost his popularity over 40% we’re in much worse trouble than any of us thought.
9
I did not watch the speech. What is the point of listening to a pathological liar.
Publish the dotard's taxes.
18
Tries for a reset by lying? Ross please tell you didn't buy the snake oil that being sold last night.
5
Maybe if there were teleprompters on his desk, his phone, and in cabinet meetings...
4
Can he stop tweeting?
Can he get the electrical power back on in Puerto Rico and deal with the black mold citizens are living with there? Can he get safe running water again to all neighborhoods of Puerto Rico, where millions of Americans still are absolutely suffering?
Can he get a huge amount of infrastructure tackled in the next year or two?
After that, we can see if he has done a reset.
4
M13 murderers get prime time, while the mass shooting in Vegas gets no mention, nor anything else that might cast a white man as the bad guy. Hmmm. . . .
12
Well, he did mention Las Vegas. Maybe you were among those who didn't hear his speech.
The headline is inaccurate. A reset is not in the offing, there will be no pivots. 45 is 45 is 45. It was just a try for good PR.
4
A reset? You mean after Trump trashes the USA he wants us all to be friends now? Wow, Republicans must think their fellow humans are just so many "marks" to be fleeced. If YOU broke it, then YOU own it. Trump deserves nothing in exchange for his play acting as president and the Republicans who are aiding and abetting him deserve prison time. How's that for a reset?
8
Yet another objective, rational article from Douthat (do-that). thank you. Trump is trying to clean up the mess after three decades of garbage. Get your trash bag and lend a hand.
1
Unless he starts respecting all Americans he will never be successful. And that--he just can not do. It is against his nature.
5
A zebra doesn't change it's stripes. We have a sociopath for a president. That is not going to change and the Republicans are beholden to him. We just have to play this out and hope for minimal damage.
5
I want some of whatever you’re smoking, Ross.
But it seems that, although you sound intelligent, you are infected with the same absurd ability to fooled by a man so beyond redemption, so set on destruction, so empty a vessel, that there is absolutely no possibility of this scam artist ever having a successful presidency. But I guess you like to say controversial things like most attention getters do. You are a disgrace to your profession.
5
The state of the union is alarmed and confused. When the reality tv president reads a teleprompter speech, and hears the appropriate applause track, he knows he's free now to revert back to gangsta rap crudity.
No one agrees on where he's been or where he's going, but virtually everyone agrees that he is some kind of existential threat to tranquility.
3
The lies Trump tells about getting people jobs may convince many to vote for him in 2020. But those lies have already been exposed. Donald Trump serves the super-wealthy corporate elite while conning low education voters with the full support of religious fundamentalists. We face the reversal by the Republicans of every painful step of of social progress made since the founding of our nation. This is the classic Republican con game. Trickle-down tax slashing for the super-rich followed by putting the poor and sick in their place by cutting every possible social program imaginable. It is a con game supported by hypocritical religious fundamentalists who claim to care about the poor and the weak. It is supported by uneducated white workers who buy the hogwash about making America great (Translation: hating people of color and immigrants). When all is said and done, the term “populism” has become a polite way of saying White Supremacy. That is what Trump is about and that is the real message of the Republican Party.
5
My worry is that the dynamic among voters that was in place in November 2016 has not really changed. Trump is a deranged, ignorant, vulgar, racist liar. Many voters apparently like those characteristics in their candidate, as all that was known about Trump before the election in 2016.
I think Trump's approval rating was around the same or a little better today as compared to the day he was elected. If the election of Trump v Hilary were rerun again today I think Trump very well might win. I think while there is going to be a vicious price to be paid down the road for the foolish republican tax cut and other policies, I do think the next 3 years are going to be high growth for the US and Global economies.
My point is that Democrats better not take it for granted that Trump and the republicans will be easily defeated in the polls. I think Trump and the republicans have more legs than most democrats give them credit for right now.
3
Better check in next SOTU and see how things have gone.
Even Douthat is cringing!
4
Reset? Were you watching the same divisive SOTU I was? From where I was sitting the only reset I heard him talk about was a more white rich elitist America.
4
The most popular comments here are by those proud enough to tell us they did not bother, or could not bear to listen to the speech by the US president.
But they are the rational reality based commentators right? Because NOT listening to the other sides arguments is obviously what makes your comments more reality based?? Really??
I just see the DNC brain washed McCarthyist supporters of 'regime change' and eternal 'wars of choice's' criticizing the other team for having the same failings as themselves. I too sometimes do not go see a film or concert based on my impressions but I would never review a book or film I have not seen and expect anyone to take my opinion seriously.
Most people ARE anti intellectual, tribal, self righteous and willfully blind, even educated 'liberals', as these comments so pathetically reveal. I'm a Sanders' supporter and to me the RNC = the DNC in what matters (ie very bad things; like endless wars, surveillance, attacking real journalism like wikileaks for truth telling). It's the death of democracy pushed by those claiming to save it.
Just as earlier both Tony Blair AND Hillary Clinton pushed for the recognization of Sisi for 'saving the revolution' that indeed he destroyed as we betrayed democracy there, in Honduras and in the Ukraine and as we have done and do dozens of times in Latin America.
No, only the Russian lie and do propaganda or spy or regime change right?? Remember WMD's in Iraq. It's ALL Russia's fault (no it is mostly OURS!)
1
Douthat writes about the accidental president as if he's a Hollywood PR hack reviewing a dreadful reality tv show.
Keep drinking the Kool-Aid Ross, the reason why this congenital liar and corrupt man baby is so unpopular is precisely because of who he is and what he represents and the empirical fact that 2/3 of Americans think he is unqualified to lead us.
5
This is what you wish you had heard.
What he actually said was a bucket of the same old stuff.
Incoherent strings of lies and half truths.
It was amazing and embarrassing to see how he USED the suffering and pain of those he invited to pretend like he actually gives a care or thought about anyone who does not have a room in Trumps towering ego.
One thing though. It was a speech that actually revealed the state of the union.. It is awful, and tending to get worse. As long as the nut jobs like Betsy Devos who destroys another section of the greatest free education system in the world is running amok, we are in deep trouble.
4
I say again, Trump is disgusting. He uses grief to sell stupid and dangerous policies. No one will call a him out on this because they do not want to disrespect those who have lost their loved ones. These people are being used in the worst way.
Just another reason to give control of Congress to the Democrats in November.
Send Trump home in 2020.
5
This annual event in which presidents become the attention of the moment says virtually nothing about actual governance and the manner in which it is conducted. The reality is that this president, with his massive ego to attend to, simply wants to be the center of attention, but not actually be president for all.
Those who vehemently dislike the socio-cultural evolution of this country voted for and support Trump because he talks to them, telling them what they want to hear and thus agreeing with what they think: that "their" country is being taken from them. So Democrats and independents need to focus on Trump's endless supply of failures regarding the majority of citizens, and future citizens who come here. The country is indeed changing, and those who don't like it cannot reverse this. Diversity, immigration and trade are hallmarks of the world's most successful countries.
Democracies are only as strong as the leaders and legislators who govern them. An incompetent leader and legislators who place party over country are inevitable failures in this regard. We can save our democracy by electing those who cherish their country more than their party, and believe compromise and consensus are a priority.
Eclectic Pragmatism — http://eclectic-pragmatist.tumblr.com/
Eclectic Pragmatist — https://medium.com/eclectic-pragmatism
4
Ross: What about the "pink elephant in the room"? You know, the very real possibility that Trump colluded with the Russians to steal the election, and has engaged in obstruction and lying ever since?
Not until that is resolved will I waste any time paying attention to this serial lying snake oil selling, traitor.
9
"Trump Tries for a Reset"
A reset to what, exactly?
8
Exactly. A reset means theres a better thing to ho back to. Like when a computer worked properly before it got a bug. Trump never worked properly...ever.
These apologist Repubs are nauseating to say the least.
The only reset possible is Trump apologizes for all his lies, for his tax bill, and attacking the FBI, and anyone else. Reverses course on being an uninformed leader, becomes a nerd about policy and legislative procedures. And does the right and moral things forward. One of which is to knee-cap McConnel and Ryan, and the alleged Feedom Caucus.
29
Ross, Ross, Ross. What part of the phrase 'con man' don't you understand?
6
A reset?
President Trump has called on Congress to give his cabinet members the authority to remove employees who disagree with him and his administration. What's worrying is the fact that Speaker of the House Paul Ryan said that the FBI needed to be cleansed in an interview with Fox News just yesterday.
This isn't a reset; this is good old fashioned facism.
10
Although I have been a daily reader of the NYT's for decades, Ross has been off my reading list for a very long time. But today I made an exception because I did not watch the SOTU address and was curious what a die hard conservative Republican would have to say. You walked the tight rope but were far from your adoring self in your view and assessment of Donald Trump. It is a start!
3
So the master manipulator last night attempted to soothe the nation's soul in the guise of a soft, sweet talking, conciliatory leader. But we have all seen this before, the yin yang yo-yo Trump who is adequate at reading teleprompter speeches versus his more seemingly authentic free wheeling bombastic self. What alternate reality was he trying to convey last night? What do you really believe? Let's get real....his nature leans more towards a kleptocratic autocratic demagogue. Beware of his smoke and mirrors ruse.
1
I don't think of this as an election which my side lost. I like to think of it as our having received a reincarnation of Mussolini as president.
3
I personally did not bother to watch. Watching a serial liar blowhard fantasize about half truths doesn't appeal to me. Trump is who he has openly displayed himself as over the last year. A lying narcissist bigot racist with no clue as to how to govern. He relies on faux news and faux praise to support his narrow and hateful visions. He for all intent and purpose is as sorry a human being as there is. There simply is no place of respect for such a person in my book. Sorry Trump but you are who you are and that is not a good thing.
6
All you naysayers, say all you want and then look at your investment account. No matter how many names you call our President Donald Trump the one word that should be used is driven.
Driven to bring back our jobs.
Driven to brink back our pride.
Driven to bring American industry from it's knees into a standing position.
Driven to protect the US from external and internal threats.
The Grand Apology tour is over, American Exceptionalisim is back.
1
it says volumes about you that you could possibly find his behavior as something you have pride in.
1
Oh look, it's the 17,984th "Trump hits the reset button" thinkpiece since May 2015. How'd the other ones work out?
3
The man is a lifelong lying sham. His bigotry — and criminality — never should have been rewarded with our highest office, an office he defiles daily. A propaganda speech, read from a teleprompter, changes nothing. Do not try to normalize evil, Mr. Douthat. Autocrat Trump and his party of enabling thieves are an American tragedy.
3
Aside from starting a war with North Korea or Iran, this president is irrelevant. Just let him play golf, host $100K-a-ticket parties at Mar-a-Lago and give him some bills to sign with his HUGE signature when he checks in at the office. The media should be focusing like a laser on the Republicans in Congress. Hold them accountable for legislating in backrooms. Track the special interest money that keeps them ignoring the will of their own voters. Unveil their dark plans to gut Medicare and Social Security and privatize our roads, bridges, water and sewer systems. Blame them for leaving millions of Americans who can't afford their insurance premiums twisting in the wind. Trump is just the front man for a wrecking crew.
8
"(B)asic likability?" Does anybody really like this guy? Even his (current) wife? Oh, except I forgot, the evangelicals. Never mind his serial personal pornography. A true sign of a movement in decline.
2
You and I know there is no reset for this twisted and nasty personality called Trump; he is hopelessly confined to his mafia world of deceit and lies galore, to benefit himself and family. How do you explain there was not a 'peep' from his big mouth about the clear and proven interference of Putin's Russia in the 2016 U.S. presidential elections, and favoring Trump? If there is no conflict (collusion and obstruction of justice and a Troyan horse 'a la Trump'), I'll be glad to eat my words. All this bragging about all what's happening, if favorable to him, selectively mentioning non-existent victories, is sickening. And the roaring applause of his addicted enablers? What a circus, and it's clownish honcho, with his political ball being juggled into impossible contortions to hide the truth. Demagoguery at it's 'finest'.
2
Oh, please. Give him a minute. He will be tweeting his next outlandish, obnoxious spouting any time now. All he did last night was prove he can read. Understand, not so much.
3
Traitors. The lines have been drawn. Let them all go down defending this fraud. They so richly deserve it.
4
Oh please. There is literally nothing that comes out of Trump's mouth that any reasonable person would lend any credence to. He is a liar and a con man and you can bet that in a few days he'll be back to his same old pathetic self, sending off irate tweets like a 10-year-old on a sugar high.
This must be the 1,000th "Trump is evolving" article and so far all of them have been wrong. He has zero qualifications for the White House, which is why the Russians were more than happy to help him get there.
2
I didn't watch as there was a lying Vampire filling the empty suit. Trump wouldn't know the truth if it were beamed into him by a ray of sunshine. He's a lifetime bully now with a bigger bully pulpit.
Like George W. Bush said “There's an old saying in Tennessee — I know it's in Texas, probably in Tennessee — that says, fool me once, shame on — shame on you. Fool me — you can't get fooled again.” Exactly.
2
With a $Trillion tax cut in hand, the one percent are laughing all the way to the bank... Arms dealers earning profits and using offshore banks while sticking governments and taxpayers with the cost of refugees from wars... no rational approach to address the human impact on the environment... no accountability to corporations and others who are impacting the environment with pollution... taking away health insurance options just out of spite against former President Obama... Activating and encouraging racist attitudes and having neo-nazis and supremacists in the inner circle including the National Security Council... Stealing a Supreme Court seat that should have been filled under Obama... Being on the hock to Russian oligarchs and banks while in a position where loyalty and US National Security are in the balance... Failure to maintain functioning and effective leaders at key government agencies, including FEMA... I m leaving out the small stuff such as conflicts of interest, rudeness, offensive comments about women and minorities, hypocrisy and indifference to the opioid crisis, disrespect for members of the armed services, and infantile midnight Twitter exchanges regarding actual nuclear threats... Quite a tally indeed.
4
this is not a reset. This was a chameleon's words, until the next tweet.
3
That's adorable. There is no reset with Trump, ever.
2
They killed the mandate. The conservatives are conserving the goodies for themselves, and they're definitely not their bother's keepers just your average american religious hypocrites-- the kind Jesus could not abide.
2
State of the Union?
Dumbed down, Trumped up.
4
Only a elitist Republican who opposes democracy like Ross Douthat could fantasize that Trump's epically treasonous, morally debauched kleptocracy ever could successfully govern America.
Modern Republicans have destroyed American democracy and surrendered our sovereignty to Putin. No good can come of that.
2
This president is so vulgar and divisive, angry and juvenile, that there is no policy or pivot that could save him. He has no cohesive message, and if he did he couldn't stay the course to promote it, unless you want to say that he is able to do so with his anti immigrant, white nationalist agenda. He's a very small man with no convictions outside of self aggrandizement and wealth. So, Ross, this speech didn't show me what this presidency could have been like. It just reminded me of what it is.
3
Empty rhetoric, lots of self congratulation and the endless sound of tiny hands clapping for himself. This comprises Trumps SOTU. Completely unfit, corrupt and incompetent for this or any office. Stable genius indeed....
3
I’m surprised the President didn’t mention that he’s given Christian Extremists free range to discriminate against gays. I know that is near and dear to Douhat’s heart.
Whatever reset Trump thinks he got by reading a speech he had zero involvement in will be offset by a tweet, attacking who ever had dared to slight the dear leader. Trump’s undoing is that he’s petty thin skinned narcissist who is utterly unsuited to be President.
4
"...but in each case without much moderate or bipartisan support."
In each case without any moderate or bipartisan support. There are no "moderates" left in the GOP (no moderate would vote for either the health care disaster or the budget-busting tax scam, er, I mean plan. No, wait, I do mean scam.
Mr. Douthat, why do you write mush like this?
2
No, Ross, we didn't.
2
90 minutes of pure garbage.Talk really slowly,tell a bunch of lies,watch republican's glee..no thank you, wouldn't consider listening to this horrid man bang on for an hour and a half.However I did watch the latest Kennedy and was very impressed.Not an "I" or a"me" in his whole speech.That alone speaks well for him.
3
trump has had 50 years to do a reset and people like the opinion author keep thinking he will reset. It was a staged event written by someone else with boasts that were lies or fantacises. Politifact is one resource for his lie-o-meter.
He claimed 'biggest tax cut.... in history!' Lie. 'In inflation-adjusted dollars, the recent tax bill is the fourth-largest since 1940. And as a percentage of GDP, it ranks seventh.' And I won't mention that the tax cut wll be eaten up by much higher health ins and gas prices, brought to you by trump.
'After years of wage stagnation....finally seeing increases'. Lie. 'wages did go up for the first three quarters of Trump’s presidency, but they fell in the fourth, wiping out all the gains on his watch and then some.
His assertion also ignores that wages — by two different measurements — began their climb during the final years of Obama’s presidency.'
And his immigration fear mongering: "visa lottery — a program that randomly hands out green cards without any regard for skill, merit, or the safety of American people." Lie. 'they must meet education and work experience requirements. They must also be vetted by the United States government.'
trump only resets his lies with other lies. Stop giving this habitual lying, anti-democracy, rule of law ignoring person the benefit of the doubt. As Maya Angelou said, 'When someone shows you who they are, believe them the first time.' Or be the fool.......
1
The so-called (by the man who you're crediting with trying for a reset) "fake news" media, like the Times, Washington Post and CNN don't seem to get it. Are you listening to this president and his dysfunctional administration? They Hate You and would shut you down in a minute if they could.
Perhaps read your colleague Michelle Goldberg's editorial today when citing inspirational figures in the audience of his unwatchable, gaslighting speech. Conflating immigration with violent gangs is a reset? There is no "successful" version of this Presidency. What more evidence do you need to understand the reckless, incompetent and probable criminal behavior of this administration?
1
What speech were you listening to?
3
Didn't watch. I will not be lectured on patriotism by this traitor and his "messaging".
4
The most hateful president in history.
"it was a night when he could pretend to be the president he never is. “To everyone still recovering in Texas, Florida, Louisiana, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, California, and everywhere – we are with you, we love you, and we will always pull through together,” he said. “Always.”
He was speaking just one day after his own Fema ended its supplies of food and water in Puerto Rico, where power won’t fully be restored across the island for at least another four months.
One would have to be a moral monster to condone this.
4
it's one speech, stop with the reset nonsense.
2
"Yesterday I was lying. Today I'm telling the truth"
Bob Arum
Yep. As a businessman, I will act accordingly- with an abundance of caution because of this President. The Liar in Chief does not fill me with confidence.
3
Almost a good column with legitimate opinions. Marred by gratuitous slaps at Democrats (gotta even it up), especially the use of the slanted buzzword "amnesty."
Good to have you Sir although this immigrant (legal) from Europe is so often in disagreement with your positions. OK, he can read a decent speech on a teleprompter. But actions betray what is in the heart, the brain that is. Frightening!
Would you work for a boss that was a liar, jerk, you didn't trust, and could flip on you at any moment if the pay was good? I did until my financial stability enabled me to restore my self respect. Let's hope we get there as a country.
1
Don't be daft. He read a speech someone else wrote off a teleprompter so that he wouldn't look like the raving lunatic he is. I expect his true twittering self to be on display by the end of today.
3
Once again, the bar has been set so low that all the buffoon has to do is read from a teleprompter and not go crazy, and he's "presidential."
Never!
3
I thought we’d made a pact, when speaking of Trump, never to use the word “reset” again, and, yet, here’s Ross Douthat using it again. Instead of “reset” how about longer more complex renderings of what Trump is up to, like—-creature pretending to be President of the United States of America tries to rise above the slime once again. Or, the light switch is always flicked off when Trump is in the room. Or, liar liar, pants on fire. Or, the water in the draining swamp stinks.
3
In the middle of January 2017, Trump promised that he had a national healthcare bill all worked out. Just needed to finish up one or two details. This Trumpcare plan would grant affordable health insurance to EVERYBODY for less than they were paying with Obamacare.
Yawn. Lie. Another lie.
Mr. Douthat’s column is almost reasonable, oddly naive, AND depressing.
He suggests rigid partisanship in Congress will make it impossible for Donald Trump to become a more “populist” president, as promised, and will ruin his opportunities to shift back to his more generous, middle-of-the-road campaign “agenda” in this coming year.
Ohhhhh. Come on.
This man never had an agenda. Folk who’ve called him “populist” didn’t mean he would fight for paid family leave. “Populist” is a code word for “white supremacist,” and once Trump steps out from behind the teleprompter he will, once again, reconfirm that definition. He doesn't give a hoot about People, families, healthcare, children, working men or women ... unless they drive carts to pick up golf balls. He doesn’t remember details of policy from one hour to the next. “Paid family leave?” Huh? Doesn’t that mean a guy gets paid to leave his family? That sounds pretty good.
And that’s why this column is depressing. It’s so sad to witness one more journalist, one more time, analyze Trump’s policy statements, statements obviously written by staff, as if they had meaning, significance. They don’t.
Never did. Never will. It’s all an act.
3
Please let us know what Trump has done in the other 364 days.
1
Didn't watch it.
Instead, I made another donation to the World Food Program, smoked a joint (oh-so legally), and played catch with my son until it was way past too dark to see the ball. After reading about what I missed....I think it was the best decision I've made since I voted for McGovern in 72.
5
Don't hold your breath - wait for the next tweets.
7
" ... no sign that Trump is prepared to build bridges where he’s burned them ... " Indeed. Mr. Trump's attempt at bipartisanship, after all the juvenile insults he's thrown at Ms. Clinton, Sen. Schumer, Sen. Sanders, etc., etc., is laughable. The height of chutzpah. "So far, the reaction against (Mr. Trump's) authoritarian impulses, assault on truth and cruelties great and petty has revealed abiding American strengths. Despite the strong economy, Americans overwhelmingly disapprove of this presidency." (NYTimes, 30Jan2018) Just imagine what might have been if we had a president and Congress who worked for the country, instead of for themselves and their donors.
7
If he thinks so highly of the National Anthem, I’m curious why he either doesn’t know the words to it, or refuses to even bother to mouth it.
7
I'm sure that without much trouble Trump could have found Dreamers from several walks of life, among them soldiers, police and fire fighters, who are true heroes. Showing them and committing to protecting them unconditionally would have gone a long way towards uniting the country. Of course, they weren't there, but what was was Trump's fear mongering about immigrants that typifies his political career. If Mr. Douthat believes this is a indication of a successful Presidency that might have been, Douthat has not just lowered the bar, he's removed it.
3
The speech just amplified all the broken promises he made during the campaign.
Mexico isn't paying for the wall, most of the Carrier people in Indianapolis aren't keeping their jobs, people aren't getting an insurance plan that is better and cheaper than Obamacare, the US is not better respected than when Obama was President, Trump is not playing less golf than Obama did, or hardly ever leaving the White House.
Trump isn't draining any swamp, he hasn't hired the best and the brightest, he hasn't torn up NAFTA, or the Iran nuclear deal, he hasn't grown the economy by 4 percent, he hasn't place lifetime ban on foreign lobbyists raising money for American elections, he hasn't provided guarantee 6-week paid leave mothers, and a ton of other promises.
10
True can read a speech someone else wrote, but he can't change his nature. He'll always be a disaster who is unfit to be President.
7
The rhetoric, blatant exaggerations, omissions and lies contained in his address continue to prove the empty shell of a leader we have as President. He gave us a wish list to be fulfilled by everyone else but him based on accomplishments he falsely claimed responsibility for and promises he made that cannot be fulfilled. He has provided no vision to follow that is recognizable to the majority of people in this country and continued to disparage those who do not think like him and his base. His talk of unity was followed by backhanded and veiled slaps to the people who he needs to convince to work with him as a united country. No matter what he claims to want to support that would be attractive to his liberal constituency, his words are empty due to his inability to be trusted. He has proven over and over again to not hold his end of the bargain when it came time to follow through on his part of the deal. He runs this country like he runs his business. It is his actions that will be judged by the American people. His confederates actions continue to help him disparage our Intelligence and Justice agencies and are complicate in damaging our Democracy no matter the damage caused. Where were his promises to protect the Constitution and the rule of law? Where was his commitment to protect our Democratic institutions from interference by outside influence? One speech means nothing to those who have his number and everyone will have it soon enough no matter how much he interferes.
1
Ross Douthat: "We glimpsed a potentially successful presidency" — yes, let's normalize a president who says “So tonight, I call on Congress to empower every Cabinet secretary with the authority to reward good workers and to remove federal employees who undermine the public trust or fail the American people.” A potentially successful dictator needs flaks like you.
7
So many great observations, Ross.
Most importantly, now that the national debt has exploded, we really need to scale back Medicare, Social Security, and Medicaid. Fiscal responsibility has always been the core of the Conservative / Republican agenda.
4
You mean, now that Congress has rewarded its uber-rich and corporate masters with our money and sent us plunging into nearly $2 trillion in debt, we're going to further rob ourselves and eliminate a century's worth of programs designed to bolster the middle class.
Fabulous idea! Why didn't I think of it.
1
Thank you for admitting that our emperor is not wearing any clothes!!
6
Ross, not only were you asleep for the parts of the campaign that highlighted Trump's incompetence, racism, and total knowledge vacuum in foreign policy, economics, science, and any other tool for governance, you've obviously been out of the country for the past 12 months while he has delivered on all those shortcomings, decimating our international standing, doing nothing to help average Americans economically, gutting regulations that protect our air/water/food and the future viability of the planet, and generally dividing the country. An imbecile says some words that sound vaguely coherent and with a serious tone, and you think that now we're going to get 'the real Trump' who can be an effective President? I can see the opiod epidemic has hit very close to home for you.
6
Was the tax reform a “success” in terms of success for his agenda, for the good of the country, or, success in reducing his and his business cronies tax bill at the public’s expense?
I saw little success for we the unwashed in that “successful” tax reform snake oil.
7
Trump's Next Big Slogan is the snazzy-sounding "New American Moment".
His speechwriters should pay more attention to the acronym it forms: NAM.
Mushroom cloud quagmire, anyone?
2
Trump used the State of the Union speech to vilify immigrants by linking them to criminals, used grieving families to justify his hateful rhetoric, congratulated himself on a lot of the gains in the economy that were a result of the Obama administration, and as usual lied a number of times.
If you call that a reset, you must have been watching some other speech or maybe you live in the alternate reality world populated by Trump and his sycophants.
5
After 2 years of lies and scamming, I am surprised at how Mr. Douthat things that Trump's immigration plan is anything but a farce to appeal to the worst elements in our society. This is an example of the press (media) trying to be so fair that it fails to see the truth behind whats happening. The right is pushing a fascist agenda geared towards looting our country and is supported by the Russians. Its downright insulting to the NY Times' integrity that he even claims that the Democrats don't want to make a deal with Trump. When the terms are dictated by one side with no compromise, its not a deal. This article reflects the collapse of conservatism in this country. High-jacked by the right as a cover to give away what makes America great to robber barons.
9
Reset? Are you kidding? He is a liar and a con man. And--even more--he hates me, a woman of a certain age who works full-time, relies on the ACA for her health care, and is much smarter than he is. He has made it clear in no uncertain terms. No amount of talk can change that. There is no "reset" possible.
9
Have you ever heard about what happened in KANSAS under Mr. Brownback, Mr. Douhat? As for a Trump reset, here, read the attached, pages 9 & 10. It seems that the true depth of this catastrophe has not sunk into you, YET.
http://www.psi.uba.ar/academica/carrerasdegrado/psicologia/sitios_catedr...
3
No worries Ross, by this afternoon he will have changes his position on nearly everything.
6
“All Americans deserve accountability and respect. And that’s what we are giving to our wonderful heroes our veterans,” Trump said. “So tonight, I call on Congress to empower every Cabinet secretary with the authority to reward good workers and to remove federal employees who undermine the public trust or fail the American people.”
Here's a little gem of tripe you might like: let the purge begin!
7
If the mid-terms were held next week, IMO, Republicans would hold control of both chambers. Wish the Democrats had leadership, vision and trust w the public. For the Dems, anti-Trump is necesssry but not sufficient to regain power ...
2
It is of no use trying to discern a substantive policy or general direction from this administration. Trump is incapable of staying on task and has about as much interest in policy as he does about being factual. The sooner Trump supporters realize that he is only about himself and that he has always has been a pure narcissist, the better off this country will be. The world would be a much better place if Trump got his true wish, which is to vacate the Presidency, a job for which he is neither qualified, nor has much interest in performing.
2
It's not a reset he wants. It's a blanket pardon from the American people for his obvious, irrefutable unsuitability for the job; for his decrepit character cloaked in fake virtue thanks to the likes of this columnist; and for what increasingly appears to be high crimes and misdemeanors both past, and worse, pending if he gets his way. The Conservative intelligentsia should be ashamed of themselves for rationalizing this grievous mistake to spare themselves the shame of supporting Trump.
5
It’s pointless to discuss hopes of a possible “reset” from this administration. By now, we all know it’s unlikely Mr Trump understood what he was reading from the teleprompter, nor will he remember or abide by it today, in any case.
2
We decided to see a movie about honest, principled people defending freedom of the press instead of staying home watching fake news. The theatre was full.
4
“The Moving Finger writes; and, having writ,
Moves on: nor all thy Piety nor Wit
Shall lure it back to cancel half a Line,
Nor all thy Tears wash out a Word of it.”
― Omar Khayyám
In other words, this game has no reset button. Knowing this is the key factor in adulthood, Mr Douthat.
5
A man with so little respect for himself cannot have much respect for anyone else. Psychology 101.
2
Nothing Trump has ever said hasn't been reversed the next day by something else he said, and re-reveresed the day after that.
Why bother listening? His speech is unimportant the second he utters it, because it has the half life of a shooting star.
Let's look at reality. He hasn't killed the ACA, but he has tampered sufficiently to affect the prices. My sister's plan doubled in cost. We do not have a Marshall plan to create jobs in depressed areas, just a bunch of people passing around videos and memes extolling trade education. We have a Congress trying to limit abortion, again, and states that have, while the WH supports reducing access to birth control and cutting Medicaid to people who don't work. No increase in childcare. We have effectively killed the Consumer Financial Protection Board, even as we saw Wells Fargo steal from its customers. And people who have been here innocently are still in peril of being deported.
I'd deport Congress first. Most Dreamers are useful.
Action speak louder than words, and Trump's actions universally cost people the least. Who cares what Trump is pretending to say now?
3
"...a $1.5 trillion gusher of infrastructure spending..."
Gusher? What the heck does that mean? Are you really so poorly informed? Apparently, the $1.5 trillion "gusher" is only $200 billion from the federal government and then some scheme to get private money to pay for the other $1.3 trillion. And it looks likely that the cost of that private money would be the privatizing of public assets and big profits to Trump's already wealthy cronies.
You should resign, Mr. Douthat.
3
"Trump Tries for a Reset"
Have to admit, I didn't watch the "Howdy Doody Show" last evening. But it wasn't necessary, same old Banana Republic President i assume striking a more moderate tone, let's all be bipartisan stuff, and everything is just peachy keen.
Well just ask the Dreamers how things are going? Or the millions of illegal immigrants who sweat out whether or not their being targeted for deportation. Or that tax cut that stiffs States like CA, NY, NJ, etc with property tax limits. Odd, their all blue States! Or the South Koreans preparing for Armageddon. Or the FBI folks who are being lambasted daily by their leader. Or a White House that's been a revolving door of personnel. Or the public servants who are shorthanded because over one third of the department positions have yet to be filled.
Reset wasn't even close. Just wait till next week when immigration comes front and center again, and the bipartisanship rhetoric will be back in the closet.
4
He could stand on his head and nothing will change. He has the unmitigated gaul to take credit for what President Obama accomplished. He will continue to be the fake president along with his rants about fake news. His devotees will continue to adore him........they can have him.
3
I recorded it so I could fast forward to Kennedy's rebuttal. Trump read a prepared speech on a teleprompter and as a pundit said tonight "It was like he was reading it for the first time. He's never given any thought to what he's reading." By sunrise Trump will have returned to his caustic putrid id, reminding us all what a state of disunion he's created. It's Groundhogs Day in America.
3
Nothing about Russian meddling, cyber security or anything remotely resembling Trump's awareness of the danger. Nope, he's keeping us safe from young illegals, away from affordable health care, making us spend more on the tariffs for goods from abroad, more in punishment taxes if you're from a prosperous, populous blue state.
The GOP toadies in the hall, smirking and nudging each other, are like beings from another planet. Not only do they not see the emperor has no clothes, but they don't see that he's an ignorant doofus who is so odious that he may destroy the GOP altogether, not just the current tarsnishing and besmirching that Trump does so well.
4
"Few of them have had as far to climb to reach even basic likability as Donald J. Trump" is spot on. So repulsive do I find this president that I didn't watch a second of the speech, not wanting to spoil my evening. Instead, I watched some of the morning recap, which rightly pointed out that Trump's "unifying" remarks bore no resemblance to his divisive rhetoric of the past year and 11 days. Trump is a proven serial liar, elected with the help of an egocentric FBI head and his pet, seemingly the only human above his criticism, Vladimir Putin. I will applaud anything Trump and the hapless congress achieve to improve Americans' lives, but liking Trump is forever beyond me.
1
Gotta call fake news on you Ross, regarding the Obamacare individual mandate. The Kaiser Family Foundation found that when people were informed on the actual details of the individual mandate, support rose dramatically. Read the Politifact breakdown. You probably know that, and that you're engaging in dishonest rhetoric. Essentially, you're employing a stance based on ignorance of how the mandate actually works and ignoring that when people get the facts their opinion changes. Can't let you slide on that. Fake news.
2
For many of us who are financially comfortable and invested in the stock market, our concerns for the well being of our fellow citizens and for the moral decline in our government will keep us as members of the Democratic Party. This president is so depraved, inept and corrupt, that waiting for the blue wave that will take place in November, is the one hope that many of us cling to.
4
I’m glad to see the Dreamers have a new member.
A masterful delivery if you didn't listen carefully. The devil was in the details or lack thereof. On protecting all children of all races, children needed it the most he said. But no mention of CHIP. He paraded the Chamber with MS13 gang victims as if rampant. What percentage of Dreamers are MS13 gang members? He went from prisoners needing a second chance to Gitmo needing prisoners. So Gitmo gets them first with second chance on the horizon. Makes sense to me
1
Why didn't somebody from congress call out, "You lie!" If anybody deserved to be called out on lies, it is Trump.
2
This is depressing: A columnist from the New York Times is not utterly aghast at the prospect of a successful Trump presidency. One may as well look forward to a life sentence or death by lingering disease. What is it about Trump's completely corrupt, hateful and chaotic vision of the United States that Ross Douthat doesn't get? Answers genuinely welcome.
3
Trump "clapping" for himself. Goody, goody for me! Says it all folks.
3
Admit it, Sir. The GOP has finally realized their Dream: Someone with just enough IQ points to sign their Name, and such a lack of decency, compassion and ethics to actually DO so. Their perfect Presidential Apprentice, the culmination of Decades of scheming, Lying and Right Wing Media Saturation. Congratulations. Jesus Wept, Father Douthat.
4
We did catch a glimpse of a successful presidency: Joseph Kennedy.
139
Really, the only thing this country needs less than another Bush or Clinton is another Kennedy. Americans are tired of dynastic political families.
NAH: He was nothing compared to Mao.
If Trump was ever going to grow up, he would have done it long ago. The man is 70, for goodness sake. He's a stain on the nation, and the sooner he's gone, the better off we'll be.
8
I meant to avoid the speech but accidentally turned on NPR, broadcasting it live. I only heard three Trump words before quickly switching off. And they were a lie. "...beautiful clean coal..."
10
It is certainly true that cutting taxes for the wealthy, paid for by adding $1.5 trillion to the debt over 10 years, is conventional conservative ideology. It's unclear exactly how purging the government bureaucracy of political enemies fits into that same ideology. It's unclear how the $1.5 trillion infrastructure plan, especially funding that plan, fits into that same ideology. It's unclear how attacking the FBI fits into any conventional conservative ideology.
The only reset Trump accomplished last night was turning away from explicit cultural rhetoric in his tweetstorms to milder, gentler, teleprompter driven dog whistle language.
7
Mr. Trump has conducted a successful year long tutorial in why nothing he says should be taken seriously; in fact he has convinced anyone who actually listens that the only reasonable default is to consider every word from his mouth as a meaningless sop to the needs of the moment.
The problem is not his likeability, as dismal as that may he. The problem is that he cannot stop himself from lying outright at every turn.
His pronounced emphasis on immigration last night provides a case in point. Our President persists in presenting ludicrous misinformation as fact, and then demanding we accept his "solutions" to problems he invents out of whole cloth.
"Chain migration" is a stunningly dishonest concept in his hands, the lottery as describes it is a conservative apparatchik's fantasy brought to ugly life.
The broken-hearted humanitarian searching for a way to save the victims of his DACA obsession is melodramatic bathos at its finest.
This man may have occasional policy thoughts that could be beaten into sound directions for the nation, but he insists on burying them beneath his toddler-like ego and untruths no rational person would countenance.
His State of the Union performance was more of the same, presented in an over-rehearsed pantomime of rationality and concern.
Like him or not, if his policies bore any relation to reality they would merit consideration. Last night, he showed himself incapable of reaching even that ground-level bar.
5
After perusing some of the voluminous fact-check analysis, one is forced too wonder: what good is a "reset button" if he doesn't "reset" his penchant for constant and consistent lying?
4
There is a good reason why Ryan and McConnell control the agenda. Donald Trump did not want or intend to be president and his only agenda is clowning and gratifying his overinflated ego (and of course shutting down the Russia investigation). Tax cuts, deregulation, repealing Obamacare, climate change denial, right wing judges, these are things that would have happened with any Republican president. Flag, "religious freedom", "American First", racism, The Wall, and attaching himself to sympathetic and sometimes inspirational figures are the empty calories that Donald Trump feeds on. As for Democratic politicians who won't compromise on immigration, they did in fact compromise on comprehensive immigration reform in 2013 and that would be law now except for the House speaker being intimidated by a handful of hardliners from allowing a vote. This is worth remembering and it finally was when Manchin suggested revisiting it on a recent Sunday talk show.
2
Your suspicion that Trump's speech was effective is probably correct especially when you consider the poor optics of the scowling Democrats sitting on their hands during the speech. It was clearly a home run for the President and there is a suspicion that his poll numbers will rise if he can just keep himself from stepping all over the speech with some ridiculous attack on some irrelevant person or issue. Watch & see.
If the Democrats are really serious about taking over the Congress they better make some drastic changes in style, temperament and most importantly, issues. They need to at least appear amenable in joining with the Republicans for bipartisan discussions the issues of immigration, the economy and infrastructure improvements. By their total resistance to all things Trump they are proving to the American people that they value party control over essential national issues. They may have made one of the greatest political mistakes since Walter Mondale promised to raise our taxes when they unanimously demonized and opposed the tax bill. And the Democrats, the party of government, shuts down the government! Their constant opposition to reasonable immigration restrictions & reform, their support for illegal immigrants will likely decrease the support they could have expected from more moderate voters.
If you wanted to create a scenario in which the Democrats played right into the hands of a triumphant Trump, you could not do better than what the Dems have done.
1
There is no compromise on DACA. What the Republicans are talking about is plain old horse-trading - giving up something else (border wall, chain migration, etc.) in return for DACA. Compromise entails giving up or conceding some aspect of the sought-after goal in return for the rest of the goal. How would that work? Only children brought to the U.S. prior to a certain date or only children having desirable skills would be offered a path to citizenship? Or children would be required to leave the country and apply for DACA relief? Etc.... Absurd.
1
If a speaker adheres to words with no clear definition (your 'sacred' might well be my profane even if we are friends & co-works, 'sacred' requires context) it is relatively easy to side step claims & issues of mendacity & prevarication.
To the point I didn't see a president attempting compromise required for an appeal to unity (for your sacred to cohabitate with mine) merely the typical bullying braggadocio suppressed via a xanax affect while saying nothing memorable. Incumbent is President of the United States (a title with a specific legal definition) not President of 'Merica (as in 'Made In'). I saw & heard little or nothing that demonstrates that incumbent has any idea as to what United States of America might be.
So, I guess speech does suggest he might have a successful administration in his mental 'America', where he can simply ignore all messy pesky details.
Trump talked the talk last night, with a few nods to inciting division (he loves standing to salute the flag, but he attacks the U.S. constitution every single day; he twists the accepted use of the word Dreamers - young Immigrants who dream of American citizenship - and applies it to American citizens).
Today it's back to undermining democratic norms - with Nunes and Co. - by releasing the highly edited Republican memo. Trump can't walk the walk.
If success is gauged only by the stock market, well then, Trump the corrupt is your man.
4
I thought it was a pretty boring speech, most of which was filled with individual tributes to people in the audience. All Presidents have done some of this, but that seemed to be the heart of Trump's offering. But the guy does not really have a serious agenda, so the speech was as much a commentary on what preoccupies his mind than anything else.
2
Didn't read or listen to the speech. Did he explain how he'll fund all these things after busting the budget with tax cuts for the wealthy? Did he explain how gutting consumer protections and environmental regulations will help the average Americans he pretends to fight for?
"We glimpsed a potentially successful presidency."
Any suggestion that Trump is a competent and/or legitimate president immediately makes questionable the judgment of the person saying that.
3
"...even as he touted his tax cuts, Trump effectively buried further efforts at Obamacare repeal by suggesting that the repeal of the unpopular individual mandate sufficed as health care policy...
It's a two-cushion shot, Ross
1 - We've got to get back to the notion that prosperity - however equally or unequally meted out - derives from the private sector
Even oil riches can't prop up socialism - ask Maduro
Before leaving equality or its lack - tell me the name of your favorite movie or sports franchise, where the top couple of dozen participants are paid equally
...
The most successful - and sustainable - large-scale health care initiatives in the US were actually started by businesses or groups of businesses
Obama tried to turn this on its head, by making the state the arbiter and intermediary for health care pay-in and pay-out...But his redistributionist totaltiarian side got the better of him
Yeah - he won...The question is - what
2 - Go look at what Amazon, Berkshire Hathaway, JP Morgan are doing (for no profit) - and no reason to think Jeff, Warren, and Jamie going to be any less successful here than on anything else they've tried their hands at
And could just as well administer health care for non-employees
DC is too dysfunctional to repeal and replace
So, got to strangle and kill off (Obamacare), and then see just what the private sector comes up with
PS - I'd take any of those 3 as president, in an instant
Their troika may get as much done as Trump
1
The only possible way to a "successful" Trump Presidency would be via Democratic majorities in the House and Senate.
Immigration is not solely about jobs. It is about placing strains on public education as well. Advocates for immigration point constantly to the high rates of education for immigrants from Nigeria, and that is all well and good. But there are significant populations of immigrants who are coming from non-English speaking countries, some where the system of education is dysfunctional or nearly non-existent.
When these children come in large numbers to a particular school district, it places a tremendous strain on the district's resources, a financial strain that advocates refuse to acknowledge. Educating English speaking students from families with parents educated in the American students in the same classrooms as a large number of students who are grade levels behind in math, reading and writing and science, is an extraordinary challenge, that is simply not acknowledged by advocates.
A significant number of the voters who resent immigration may be nativists, or even racists, but there is another strand of voters who are fine with integration, but not at the cost of a radically altered educational environment. This idea of emphasizing educated immigrants speaks to these fears and concerns, and democrats would be foolish to ignore it.
His speech was dull, insincere and too long. One glaring omission for me was that he did not mention Heather Heyer, who was murdered just as surely as those 2 poor girls were murdered by MS13 gang members. There was no bringing together the country - or the government - in his words. As far as I am concerned, there is nothing he can do to ever be "my" president, and it doesn't appear that he wants to be.
1
Amazing how low the bar for success is for this President (even from you Ross). This is the President without hope and without empathy. President's are often a reflection of society and symbolic. He is a very ominous reflection of American society.
53
Why is immigration the main talking point for our slippery president and his base? Immigrants with unemployment so low does not threaten jobs and illegal immigration is much lower than it has been in decades. Is it a red herring to distract us from his failings as a president? Is it red meat for his base who do to Republican policies find it difficult to find their place in our evolving society? Immigration has always been a side issue to what has always been primary, issues such as income inequality, infrastructure, caring for our most needy and opening up possibilities for new business and the happiness of those in our society.
The topic of immigration as a main talking point only emphasizes separation and a me against them perspective, bigotry becomes rampant. Besides that it is only tangentially related to our larger issues. We need to pass immigration reform right now and grant those who contribute to our society green cards or citizenship and get on with the important business of lifting people out of poverty, granting everyone adequate health care and training everyone who needs it into careers that serve them and our society.
29
Agreed. Would add that if you live in Maine (an axample), where some bridges and roads and Bangor International Airport are due for serious repair, there is no young labor force for the
work. Too many young people have left for other states and jobs over the past 30 years. So, does Maine hire Mexican labor? It used to, to harvest blueberries, especially, busloads of them.
In older New England, when textile mills dominated along
the Merrimack River, in Lowell, Lawrence and Mancheser's
Amoskeag Mills, French Canadians were imported. I think
they still are the largest part of the city's population. As a kid
I remember many of the rest of the city looking down on
"Canucks." I remember the phrases, including "French Frog."
But these workers, 12 hrs a day in tubercular circumstances,
founded the wealth of the city and the mansions north along
the river.
Where, across the nation, will the labor force come from
to repair roads, bridges, airports, rail-beds and build new
of all of these? Never mind pick vegetables and do the real
work of farming. "White" youth have passed on that.
64
Thanks for your beautiful response. We are as so many have said all immigrants except for the first people. So when we honor immigrant's contributions we honor ourselves.
5
I think student debt isn't as big a weight for non-white (?) youth.
What does it matter what he said last night? He is as likely to reverse himself as he is to follow through, and is willing to cede policy details to Congressional Republicans who in the tax bill broke several of Trumps repeated promises; one being the promise to repeal to carried interest loophole and another that Trump and his rich friends would not benefit.
32
I missed the speech, busy sorting out my old comic books.
44
I was cleaning out my sock drawer.
1
You missed great comic relief interspersed with cheap emotional hypocritical stunts.
1
What percentage of the electorate reads the NYT or The Wash.Post?
What percentage of Americans watch TV?
Reagan was a natural on TV (though at best a B movie actor.)
Trump also understands TV. And, despite all the criticism of
his tweeting, social media. (Back in the day, many thought it
was unpresidential when FDR talked directly to the Peeps
in Radioside "chats" starting in his first term. Of course he
was still doing to great effect in his fourth.
Underestimating your opponent is a really dumb way to play
any game, including the no-holds barred spectacle of Politics.
Protect yourself at all times, good jab, good straight right, but no repeated
hitting below the belt. Can lead to Disqualification by the Judges
voting at the Polls.
2
And who's been hitting below the belt?
1
Didn't we already decide that no matter what trump did last night we would know that he's not presidential?
8
In his long business career Trump has perhaps mastered the art of hitting reset buttons when needed, which he is employing in politics also. The apparent shift from the toxic populist campaign rhetoric to a more accommodative bipartisan approach too therefore should be taken with a pinch of salt.
9
"Trump arrived...as a wildly unpopular president" and "his failure to follow through on his campaign’s populist promises is high on the list" of reasons for his unpopularity.
This is nonsense. Trump started off unpopular when he took office. He has been just below 40% approval since month three of his presidency. A clear majority of Americans knew he was unfit for office the moment he got off the escalator. That is why he is wildly unpopular. This speech is meaningless. Trump will probably change directions twice on everything he said last night.
42
Reset.
It is like I should ignore the two prior years where, before my eyes, Trump lied every single day.
Is this the Conservative method? Forget about every bad thing any Conservative ever did? And make up stuff against people one does not like?
And defend an ideology that has shown zero results ever because, you know, Ross can defend it intellectually, regardless of the facts.
21
Mr. Douthat is good at his job
Yes he seemed medicated, palpably sedated (soporific). That would be my best hope for his next couple years; a descent into drug addiction, where his denial based personality would require zero adjustment. We'd have a sideways slumping, drooling caricature of a caricature of a reality star acting as President, repeating his adjective phrases at the end of sentences ... such strong adjective phrases ... stronger than any ... ever. The strongest adjective phrases.
16
Trump can't do anything but rage in futility. He has no friends on Capitol Hill and no political experience or knowledge. He's a shifty businessman who's been bankrupt more than once. Business men only know one thing, their business, their taxes and their regulations. And it's all they really care about even their families suffer from lack of care. These types should never be elected to help the country, they don't care about their workers and their families. They dont cate aboit you and me.
19
You could erase "Business men" only know one thing their business, their taxes and their regulations and write in "Politicians" only know one thing... and it would still come out the same!
It doesn’t matter what Trump does in the next year, he’s still unfit to be president. His attack on the press, immigrants and minorities, his constant bullying and denigrations, his disregard of the rule of law through his attacks on the FBI and judiciary, and his denial of Russian election hacking and admiration of Putin and other dictators reveals his willful ignorance of Democracy and everything this country stands for. He is a malignant narcissist with no awareness or understanding of himself or the world. He sets a bad example for everyone. He needs to go.
28
Yes, I agree that the Trump presidency is a disaster, but if you impeach him, you get Pence! That is no bargain, as Pence is even more of a right-wing crazy than Trump. Pence is more homophobic, xenophobic, and misogynistic than Trump. So be careful about what you wish for in a president.
I suspect that Trump is going to be for the Republicans what Carter was for the Democrats; an embarrassment who doesn't play well with others and who ultimately accomplishes very little but manages to destroy the image of their party for a generation. Americans are embarrassed by this president and we learned last year that he is capable of sounding presidential during the state of the union address but his actions going forward will be anything but presidential. He can try for a reset all he wants but with the exception of his base most of us realize that he's not trustworthy.
The GOP needs to decide if they're going to go down with the ship or try to save themselves with bipartisan solutions to our issues. Americans are going to be watching this next year and if the tax bill is all that the GOP has to show for itself by election time they will lose control of Congress.
As an independent I'll be watching for a response from Democrats that isn't "I'm not Trump." Come up with a plan that will unify us by focusing on what we have in common. It's still the economy stupid.
4
The message of Trump’s speech was not what he said, but the self-satisfied smirks of Ryan and Pence behind him on the podium. Why they’re so smug, who knows. But they clearly see Trump as their little puppet, parading pompously and who cares for what? A charade, an indulgence, while the real robbery goes on secretly in the dark.
36
I understand how Trump gets up there and prattles on, he's a professional liar like all politicians and that's his job. What I don't get is how some dog & pony show "hero," a role that is supposed to imply at least a modicum of integrity, sits there and allows themselves to be used as a tool by this obvious shill for Wall St and the upper crust. Perhaps the little boy can be excused, but the adults? Really?
I was fingers crossed euphemistically praying that one of his honorable guests would interrupt him to blurt out one honest sentence denying their acceptance of being honored by this guy in this house in front of these nation wreckers. What is wrong with Americans? Is being in the presence of power that numbing?
12
I imagine that once they've accepted the job of his shill it's hard to say anything. I heard that one of the mothers of the young girls killed on Long Island is not at all interested in the angle that it was immigrants who killed her daughter, she just wants the killers to be brought to justice. Nevertheless, she sat there while Trump made hay of the fact that the criminals were members of M-13 and might have come to the US as unaccompanied minors. Her situation is so sad, and I understand why she'd want someone to talk about her child, I guess I'd feel the same - but she had to know that that's the only reason he'd talk about it.
1
I had to turn it off. Job performance aside, this wasn’t a president speaking , it was a proven inarticulate, dishonest, vulgar liar.
If one of my neighbors consistently demonstrated these traits, I would take great effort to avoid him. I certainly wouldn’t trust or respect him. I am saddened that a great many Americans seem willing and able to lower their moral standards in the name of political tribalism. Surely, even ultra conservatives, could find a leader with better stuff than this.
22
I'd be delighted to have Trump as a guest!
He doesn't drink, just fulminates.
My handle of Cheap gin would be semi-safe.
A reset? Really? Would YOU buy shares in this guy’s casinos?
10
Yes, I'd like to go to the shareholder's meetings.
Like the economy? Like the tax “breaks”?
Let’s see how much seniors love it when their Medicare will be defunded.
Let’s see how people love traveling on rickety roads and bridges because taxes are not collected from the wealthy and corporations. Let’s see how people love continuing to work for low wages while CEO’s live high off the hog.
While Donald Trump, seriously, still appeals to the coal country, let’s get real.
The economy under Trump is the biggest scam this country will see and has seen.
20
The second paragraph begins: "There are many reasons — one for almost every tweet — that Trump arrived at his first official State of the Union address as a wildly unpopular president despite a reasonably strong economy, but his failure to follow through on his campaign’s populist promises is high on the list." This is clueless in so many ways. The economy has nothing to do with it; Trump's unpopularity stems from his utter lack of a moral compass in dealing with wives, women in general, customers, business suppliers, or anybody else. The only people who care about his campaign promises are the loony ultra-right-wing; most people detest him because he finds moral equivalence between neo-nazis and civilized Americans, because he lies continually, because he worked to destroy health care, because he colluded with Russian operatives to steal the election, and on and on. If Trump worked harder to keep his campaign promises, he would be even more wildly unpopular, because only a small minority ever supported most of his campaign promises.
19
Looking holistically at Trump, we have seen that the US is disrespected internationally. We have seen the empowerment of hate groups, bigotry. We have seen an extreme divisiveness in the country. We have seen an edging toward autocracy. We have seen younger citizens showing growing disdain for Washington, rightfully so. We will see the further dilution of the Supreme Court as just a body of ideologues. We have seen acceptance of outright lies. There is so much more to go on and on about. It is a turning point, and it remains to be seen how much worse it will get.
161
I agree wholeheartedly, with one quibble. You posit that we are "edging" toward autocracy. I think a more accurate descriptor is galloping.
8
No, CAS, we have arrived there. We are now, also, an oligarchy.
1
It's people using words like "descriptor" who get Trump elected.
I don't know why anybody listens to anything Trump says anymore. He read his speech just fine and, if history is any guide, he'll likely tweet out something completely different tomorrow and the next day. He doesn't care about truth or facts. Every time his mouth opens or his finger hits his smartphone the only things on his mind is how to aggrandize himself, insult his "enemies" and motivate his base. So what matters is what he (and his cabinet) does, not what he says or tweets. I understand that the media's job is to report on what a U.S. president says, but unfortunately his words usually have only the most tenuous relationship to truth.
14
Aside from one's opinion on Trump character, policy or SOTU speech, why would anyone talk about Trump 2020?
He is definitely not a "young 71" today.
What's he going to be in 3 years? Definitely not a "young 74".
Not something I want for another 4 years.
America needs someone who's fit for office.
Pres needs to get on home to Florida!
5
I was one of the many who didn't watch the speech but I knew it would be analyzed endlessly which is what is happening this morning. This guy can be given credit for reading a long speech while standing. The rest is meaningless.
He is feeding on the divisions in this country, with the help of fools like Nunes, to save his own skin. Everything else is commentary.
13
Regardless of his taking credit for a recovery implemented by Obama and the Federal Reserve, here is the problem with your analysis: He constantly lies and puts his and his family's interests above those of the country and common decency.
His presidency has done, and will continue to damage our country horribly. Lack of trust and lack of character does count.
7
I'd rather have another root canal than sit through one of this jamoke's speeches. Glad to see I didn't miss anything. The only phrase I want to hear from him is "Not guilty, your Honor."
10
I missed TRUMP'S IMBECILIC RAGES BUT I see that he had time to threaten anyone in government that failed to supply him with the right amount of deference , like the rule of all trump employees standing when a trump enters the room. such a petty tyrant.
4
So we will see what happens next. But I suspect that someone will offer a, gentle puff of air into his face, accidentally step on his toe, or question his motives and Trump will lash out in the only way he knows how. By being a bully. He can't take the heat. Any heat. If any president had a very good reason to lash out, it was Obama. But he was a good person, intelligent, and had more self control than Trump can demonstrate for even an hour. He can say anything he wants. He can promise the sun and the moon. But here is my take on the first year and moving forward: I DON'T LIKE TRUMP AS A PERSON. HE IS A NASTY MAN. AND NO SPEECH , NO MATTER WHETHER YOU CALL IT A RESET OR NOT, IS GOING TO CHANGE THAT. I WOULDN'T WANT ANYONE LIKE HIM TO HOLD ANY IMPORTANT POSITION AFFECTING MY LIFE. SO I CERTAINLY DON'T WANT MY PRESIDENT TO BE LIKE THAT.
6
Dotard Donald is, at most, a very skilled salesman. Just look at the bill of goods he sold to Obama voters in 2016, aided without their knowledge by Guccifer and Julian Assange.
The only salient question now is how long the Prevaricator-in-Chief will be able to peddle his snake oil to those same voters, persuading them to believe him and not their lying eyes.
I'm afraid P.T. Barnum underestimated the birth rate of "suckers" by at least a factor of one thousand, if not one million.
4
It is very very simple Ross, how can a man who confuses strong profanity with being tough, and extreme liying with extreme intelligence, ever be successful?
These are signs of a moral and an intellectual weakling, a man who is a serial bunkrupter. One who hides his tax returns for fear people will find out his dept far exceeds his assets, that he is a business weakling as well.
Lets hope Mr. Trump refrains from using the US nuclear arsenal in an attempt to shore up his failing popularity that is has been stack at under 40% approval since mid-May. The time is running out with midterm election fast approaching in less than ten months.
5
Trump is beyond trump is beyond the possibility of a reset. He is an embarrassment to the country. The reset he could do is resign but will not happen so he needs to be impeached for his many crimes.
3
Ross,
The reset is this : Americans would like to see the end of Trump's presidency well before his first term ends. The abysmal poll numbers reflect it. There is a reason for those low numbers : Our president is divisive, racist, sexist, belligerent, lazy, indecent and repugnant. Need I say more? Don't normalize his presidency because there is nothing about it that ought to be normal.
5
I am wondering who truly believed that Trump would ever deliver on his populist message. He was a joke during the campaign and he has graduated to a sick joke now who may get the US destroyed. This was all very obvious during the campaign to anyone with a shred of common sense.
3
I knew that there would be a movement among some in the media--especially pundits like Douthat--to say that Trump finally became presidential last night. He didn't and he never will. Our media needs to wake up and stop trying to make a silk purse out of a sow's ear every time Trump proves that he can read from a teleprompter.
3
Ross- Stop already. The subtitle: "We saw a glimpse of a potentially successful presidency...": No. We. Didn't. We saw or heard a 71 year old man successfully meander through a speech someone else wrote. I digress. Success for Trump is catastrophe for the rest of us:
Trump Success thus far: Malicious- Muslim and Brown-people immigration bans; Elimination of environmental protections; Shifting wealth from everyone else to a few mega corporations (people). Twitter addictions (should add his to the Opium crisis).Gifting the nation's shorelines to Oil rigs and oil spills;Pillaging of the U.S. Treasury for personal gain. Roll backs on civil rights protections.... This is the record you base your whimsy on?
*Success* certainly has visited Donald Trump- the rest of the nation; not so.
3
I can’t stand the sight of this scowling con artist and the sound of his venomous voice makes my skin crawl so if anything he said made sense I wouldn’t know. Better to hear the speech predigested and ridiculed by the late night comics. Can we agree that if Melanie dumps him he needs to go too?
4
Trump and his collaborationists are cynically betting that the common decency of the average American can be bought off for a few more bucks in their paychecks. But we are not them.
I did not watch the POTUS speak. Firstly, he sets my teeth on edge every time he opens his mouth. The man has no substance. No...grit. But more to the point, he has long since proven himself (at least to me) to be the archetypal liar; someone whose words cannot be trusted. I cannot respect such an individual who now helms the Presidency, so why bother?
And having said that let me also say this. If this keeps up I will also lose all faith and respect in the office itself, to say nothing of the toadies and minions who pass themselves off as our Senatorial and Congressional representation. With each passing day they all show themselves for who they are; hypocrites and fools, players in a clown circus that calls itself our government.
John~
American Net'Zen
1
I have a vague recollection of a poem by Robert Frost in connection with some Presidential event that suggested “the futility of trying to do something right when it just wasn’t in you.”
Poets—even bad ones—can reduce the best of intentions with a sentence; a word.
I think Joe Kennedy’s rebuttal was poetry.
It's not what he say. It's what he does. He's even scarier when he sounds semi-sane. Watch him like a hawk.
3
I am not sure, but I think that was the biggest crowed I have ever seen at a state of the union address in the history of the world.
Anyone have any thoughts?
I hope Sarah Hucabbee confirms that for us.
A wonderful paranoid incompetent old man, filled with hate and fear has given us a true moment in history. And we have to thank the rank and file for looking the other way, none of this would be possible without them. Thank Mr. Ryan for releasing a memo written and verified by one of the greatest minds in congress,I am speaking of Mr Nunez of course. Thank you Mr McConnel for being such an obedient lap dog, your a true standup follower of the party.
1
Clearly Ross' definition of "an effective speech" is, as he is, off-the-wall.
The speech wasn't as wacky as his tweets, but it was still convoluted swill.
1
Mr. Douthat, clearly you live in another universe. To you, the seeds of future success reside in the state of the economy? An economy that has little to do with Trump, and everything to do with Obama .. someone that is the focus of abject hatred by Trump and the GOP leadership? This is hardly a foundation for a successful presidency.
give me a break. Trump reads from a teleprompter, and you see hope? or what might have been? The Republicans have gone off a cliff and I will simply point to Dunes bizarre attacks on the Deep stay and Ryan's enabling in the name of "transparency". The Dems are not strong or smart enough except for Schumer. The Dems are bleating about #MeToo, immigrants and other PC causes, while Rome is burning-our environment, our climate, and the threat of war. The Dems need to focus on a winning strategy and stop worrying about whether people love them. The Republicans have learned how to win and then use their power as they and their benefactors want. The Dems have to learn how to win, and the first step is stop trying to get everyone to love you
1
Imagine if Trump had said something like the truth last night, that the crime rate for immigrants was about half that of the native population? That the gang he cited is terrible but the exception rather than the norm he made it out to be? Your comment that Democrats will seize on these comments not to make a deal is probably correct for these comments reveal a man utterly without integrity and full of ignorant malice. How does one make a deal with such a man?
1
Omg- THE ELEPHANT IN THE ROOM!
Nixon addressed the Watergate investigation in his SOTU address, but Trump blithely avoided the #1 issue facing this administration.
I am not speaking about collusion specifically, which may or may not be proven, and which may or may not have happened.
I am speaking about the fact that Russia interfered in our election, and Mike Pompeo admits he expects it to happen again during midterms, yet Trump refuses to acknowledge this monumental threat to our democracy or to lead this country's response to it. Rather, he chooses to thumb his nose at Congress which overwhelmingly passed the order for sanctions in a stunning bipartisan vote in both houses. On the day of SOTU we hear he is not ordering the mandated sanctions.
But he does get an A in TelePrompTer reading and clapping.
161
Agree, except that it's not so much thumbing his nose at Congress as genuflecting to Putin.
Collusion is not at issue. Trump is blatantly and openly committing obstruction of justice and now so is Devin Nunes and his committee. If they were smart they would shut up and cooperate, but they aren't. They're going to try to lie their way out of their mess, spin propaganda on FOX and hope they can swing some more elections.
Does a sane POTUS clap for himself during his own speech?
One speech one night changes nothing. Trump's attack on truth is existential. It comes from the highest public official and extends beyond and penetrates deeper than anything before him (including Nixon's lies). Trump appears to thrill in the deceit of it all, in short being a man with no boundaries. Yes, we need a "new American moment," but don't trust the words or policies offered by Trump.
3
The dark days of Trump roll onward. Did he mention the home grown gun violence and drug problems? No. Will he change our culture in a positive way? No.
His first SOTU speech was weak. Mr Trump should have warned us that he would be playing the part of Emperor Nero with his chin held high, using broad sweeping arm gestures, and playing to his alt-right base. Only the toga was missing.
1
"No plan" is an accurate description for virtually every major initiative mentioned by Trump. He had no real plan for replacing Obamacare. Repealing it was his only objective. He wanted a big tax cut but there was no concern given to the deficit. With immigration, two weeks ago he declared he would sign anything that the assembled bipartisan group put in front of him (a promise that lasted a few days).
In light of the articles from the New York Times in the past few days pertaining to Afghanistan, there is no plan and there has been no progress in our combat efforts there, This is his war now. Remember, he told us he knew more than generals did. Demonstrate that with actions, not empty sentences. And, by all accounts, no one can articulate how "America First" is being translated into trade agreements. Overall, our international policies are as clear as mud.
In the SOTU speech, he says the war on beautiful clean coal has ended. The statement is wrong on many counts. The war never started because clean coal doesn't exist. By virtually every economic measurement, coal in whatever form isn't coming back because it is far more expensive than natural gas. And his plan to subsidize it died two weeks ago. If he has engaged in any war, it has been against science.
The bottom line is that forever long he remains in office, there will be no plan of importance except for his legal strategy. And that is being created by his legal team. Not him.
2
The State of the Union seems like it's always a step away from just having canned applause, and one guy up there saying..."Isn't America great, lets hear it for America?" Hard pass.
1
Ross, your response here is so predictable. Trump manages to read a conciliatory speech from a teleprompter, without going off script, and that's a sign of The Pivot? He will regress and soon enough you'll be wringing your hands again. Said, as the president might say.
Your claim that he is a wildly unpopular president is unsupported by his 45% approval rating. Obama’s had a 48% approval rating after his first year.
His call to empower every cabinet secretary with the ability to remove government workers who betray the public trust heralds the dawn of actions against those who would investigate his ties to enemies of the American people.
3
"There were ideas here that could make Trump’s second year more successful than the first, but there was no plan to actually enact them, no sign that Trump is prepared to build bridges where he’s burned them, no plan for getting more out of this speech than just a temporary polling bump."
Refined sugar is nothing but empty calories.
3
Paul Ryan and Mitch McConnell will continue to control the agenda because Trump has no one else capable of crafting policy for him. To be honest the G.O.P. has offered up two pretty terrible bills already in defiance of all legislative due process. What's next on the agenda? Cuts to social services. Trump didn't say anything about it but that's what Ryan is going to deliver. Trump's populism was DOA. Anyone who actually believed him was a fool. Anyone who still believes him is something worse. We needed infrastructure. We got tax cuts. Never the twain shall meet.
1
Suggesting that reinstating DACA is "amnesty" eliminates the meaning of the word. Amnesty is a pardon granted someone who has done some wrong. What is the wrong the Dreamers have committed? Failing to leave the country in which they were raised at the point they turned 21 years of age?
Trump squandered his first year in office, which he started with 44% approval. On election night he sounded genuinely humble. I hate him, but it gave me hope he might reach out and govern. Since that moment it has been all downhill. He has repeatedly shown him self to be petty, mean and divisive, always on a rant about someone or something, and moving from one whipping boy to the next. His presidency has not healed the divide he exploited to gain office, to the contrary, he has become even more offensive and frightening. There is a general improvement in the global economy. Trump has very little to do with that. The tax cut for corporations will cripple, not restore the things we need as a nation and society. Expect Trump to pass the blame for that.
3
Without trust no need for a reset, we need an overhaul. It starts in Nov. '18.
2
State of the American Union 2018?
America, between the political parties, seems in agreement on one fundamental but rarely mentioned fact: Virtually everyone believes, philosophically, there is no Cartesian mind/body duality, that the one can exist without affecting the other, indeed be separate from the other. America rather believes a behavioral (body) tendency reflects a type of thinking (the mental) and vice-versa, that every thought has behavioral consequences.
Thus from the right wing and its religion, nationalism, business mentality all behavior must be herded and thought crushed to a tight way of thinking and behaving, because strange behavior equals strange thought and vice-versa, and we must have none of that. But that is also how the left wing behaves! It treats thinking with which it does not agree as having behavioral consequences and vice-versa, it is always on the lookout for behavior with which it does not agree.
Therefore we can assume the future of America no matter where we turn will be increased control of behavior and thought, for the one equals the other, and any deviation in the one equals deviation in the other. Strange behavior is threatening to the body politic and strange thought likewise. And this also explains why people are so fearful of AI, not to mention that it will reach consciousness: It will think beyond us and therefore potentially behave in ways we find threatening. All thinking today is morality of some stripe and morality is thought.
The bulk of Trump's State of the Union speech will last as long as a puff of hot air; dissipating moments after its uttered, the effect neither visible nor felt. What was seen and felt was the atmospheric pressure of hyper partisanship, a result of Congressional climate change started years ago that produced waves of Republican applause and cheering ovations to even the most incendiary declarations (re-open Guantanamo? Purge "disloyal" public officials?) and silent, contemptuous stares from Democratic party members. So much for unity. Missing from the speech, but as desperately needed as sunshine and rain, was a vision for America at home and abroad that transcended a laundry list of "nice to haves." What a waste of time, spirit and energy. No matter; Trump's slow, lumbering reading of his prepared text will soon blow over and be engulfed by another storm of his own making.
1
This was nothing more than the reality show host giving the new task assignments to the contestants.
He looked drained, tired and very low energy as the speech wore on. Today he is not leaving the White house to promote his SOTU objectives, leaving it instead to aides to do so.
Thank goodness I kept an old political theory text from college---turned on the mute button and read several speeches by Lincoln...got me through the night.
Trying to normalize him again, Ross? Don't pay attention to what he says, pay attention to what he does. Will be interesting to see what nonsense he tweets out in the next 24-48 hours.
2
There's a new Harvard Harris poll out, with some truly fascinating results. And I think it explains lot about Trump.
The poll asked registered voters about the new tax plan and immigration.
Between 60% and 70% of whites, blacks, and Hispanics--and over half of Democrats, Republicans, and Independents approved of an immigration plan like Trump laid out last night.
I found this stunning. But ignoring numbers like these is what led to Trump getting elected in the first place.
18
That's for bringing that up. When the average folk is struggling everyday to earn that dollar (rat race, paying expenses, feeding their kids), the last thing they want to do is hear some sob story because people/family/parents ignored rules and said "forget this piece of paper that says I have to leave in x months... I'm staying and that's that". Or "Let's get more people in here but it might cause integration issues and also extend our infrastructure or lead to greater job competition".
Hi,
Which poll are you referring to?
Best,
Christopher
That might be because the "plan" he laid out bears no resemblence to the reality of Trump's racist immigration policies and actions.
Mr. Douthat I must disagree with your hopes. The only way to view Mr. Trump's speech is through the lens of the Trump campaign rally held April 23, 2016 in Waterbury CT. At the rally then candidate Trump demonstrated how 'easy' it is to act presidential; stand this way, look like this and talk like this. The State of The Union speech was an extension of his campaign rally.
17
Forgive me for suggesting this, Mark, but the first four years of any president's tenure in office is nothing more or less than a campaign to be elected to another four.
Go back and look at Barack Obama's choice to spend much of his time outside of Washington and almost all of that time...exclusive of the golf trips to sunny climes...in states that were key to an electoral college victory.
Do the same for the tenures of George W. Bush, Bill Clinton, George H. W. Bush, Ronald Reagan, and Jimmy Carter. You will find the same tendencies to go campaigning two or three times a week...
And, all of it at taxpayer's expense.
I agree that it is unseemly and a good argument on which to base a change to single, six-year terms. But since we have four year terms and two-term limits on the presidency, changing the calculus of a first-term president is going to be well-nigh impossible.
1
And, he mentioned that a married couple will have $2,000 tax benefit yet did not mention how much he and the other rich people would receive as benefits. Had this been a real tax cut for the middle class, it would not have included the top fraction and given the middle class even a higher benefit. What is not said, especially by Trump and the Republicans, seems to be more important than what they say. Remember that, and in fairness mention these in your article too.
35
Exactly. My lawyer told me he would receive $160,000 in tax cuts.
1
Push the reset button? There is a big one called deficit spending reset. We are well on our way to a one trillion dollar deficit this year as reported in today's paper. We are starting out with a 600 billion dollar deficit, we just cut taxes to the tune of hundreds of billions, are going to spend hundreds of billions on weapons, walls and wars, add in another hundred billion for infrastructure spending and you get to one trillion really quickly. Then add in the costs of an aging population on Medicare and Social Security.
Of course free money boosts the economy. Of course cutting taxes boosts profits and the markets. That's what deficit spending free money does. When Democrats try to use free money, it's the end of the world. When Republicans use it, it's heaven on earth.
The hypocrisy of the GOP is sickening. They drown out their recklessness with cries of deportations. That's the payoff for bankrupting the nation.
So stick your heads in the sand MAGA people and pretend not to notice. The mean old white men who saddled us with this debt burden won't have to pay it. They will be long past. The young will have to pay it. Vote young people.
92
Don't worry. They're going to cut Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid.
How is Trump's adding a trillion to the debt this year different from Obama adding $1.2 trillion of debt for each year of his eight-year term?
I'm willing to be convinced by your argument as long as it doesn't devolve into hypocritical political talking points.
Owl,
The debt under by Obama was caused by the Bush tax cuts and the worst recession since 1930. No matter what the cause, how is adding to the debt going to make the situation any better?
2
You can't trust anything this many says as he's always trying to "sell" you something. And you can't trust his economics as they are so much bubbles and foam shielding a core of a shrinking work force, poor educational opportunities, and decreasing productivity. He had better be careful asking Americans that like the economy to give him the credit and like him, too. A very big Yin Yang is waiting in the wings and will arrive with the next recession.
28
You bought "Yes we can" for eight straight years, even when it was obvious that the "we" that was promising the "can" was singularly unable to deliver on it.
Fact. The President of the United States' role is that of a salesman. And the once that become the "best" presidents are the ones that close the deals consistently.
Trump, so far, has a spotty record in closing deals, although even the most hardened of critics are having to admit that, unlike may previous occupants of that high office, Trump is keeping his promises.
Many people are comfortable with that thought, just as many who oppose his policies might not. At least, however, all know where things stand as opposed to having to find out later that we've all been duped.
1
Trump/Bannon/Stephen Miller have been doing their best to destroy the American government and system of justice for the past year. A stock market correction is brewing up a storm for Trump's financial success, and let's hope it doesn't turn into another 2008 recession. Eighty percent of Trump's Cabinet choices have been exactly the wrong person for the job, and they have dismantled the State Department, environmental and science efforts and the list could go on.
Anyone who thinks Trump could be any kind of success is smoking the wrong stuff in their pipe.
41
Nothing has changed since Obama left office. In fact, Trump's claims that the economy would grow 4% have been as empty as all his other rhetoric. He can't claim the current economy. If things grow and this time next year we're better off then than we are now, I will listen to those claims.
The trickle down theory has been tested to failure time and again and it's going to get another test. But will its proponents ever actually accept the results?
26
Didn't watch or listen. Waiting for and working toward November. And, hoping we still have free elections and the other necessities of a democracy by then.
33
But if the $1.5 trillion gusher of infrastructure spending is 80% paid for by private investors, then the TOLLS on roads bridges etc. will end of costing the middle class just as much as they are saving in taxes. And they will lose some of Medicare to automatic budget cuts over the next 10 years, despite Trump's promise to NOT cut Medicare. It looks like Trump gave away the middle class to the rich folks who own all those big companies and their stock, and cut out the lower half of all Americans by income. That is half the country Donald. Is that what you intended?
23
Let’s face it – the speech and the references to heroes in the gallery were masterful! Well done, Mr. President.
The one clearly laid out legislative proposal was immigration reform and I endorse his proposal wholeheartedly. He completely neutralized the issue of DACA and Dreamers – he gave them a path to citizenship. No one can be opposed to strengthening our borders – that is the very definition of a country. Moving to eliminate chain migration aligns us with many European countries. Family based migration accounts for 72% of US immigration – it is only 28% in the Netherlands, 32% in Germany and 33% in the UK. And ending the lottery system is also simple common sense. As LBJ said “A nation that was built by the immigrants of all lands can ask those who now seek admission ‘what can you do for our country’?” Trump’s 4 pillar plan is reasonable and right down the middle.
So pass Trump’s immigration reform bill. Get that issue off the agenda. And then move on to infrastructure, where there again should be common ground. I was embarrassed to see the Democrats sitting there like spoiled 2 year olds who want to take their ball and go home. GET SOMETHING DONE! Or resign…
And if melodrama Joe is all the Dems have in the bullpen, they are in bigger trouble than they think...
8
Besides the fact that Republicans were worse to Obama who did not tweet-hurl insults at them what makes you think Trump will follow through on anything?
He promised over and over that he would repeal the carried interest loophole and that he and his rich friends would not benefit from his planned tax cut, and then he abdicated all responsibility to Congressional Republicans who did the opposite
I don't know about limiting integration to a single family member. I would think (and have no evidence to back it up) that a country with a surfeit of foreign-born males (assuming wives stay behind to raise children, which is common sense, isn't it?) roaming around without, like most immigrants, much opportunity in a strange new land, would cause more instability than would those with a family to look after. In strictly economic terms, wouldn't it behoove the US to accept intact families? At a macro level, it might not pay off right away, but in a generation or so the benefits to the US are huge. Look at the successes of the Dreamers.
1
You were "embarrassed to see the Democrats sitting there like spoiled two year olds?" Pray tell, how did you feel when a Republican congressional yelled out "Liar!" in the middle of an Obama speech while the rest of his gang sat on their hands and smirked?" Do you feel it's patriotic for a party to have as its single goal, the destruction of sitting president? Melodrama is in the eyes of the viewer and methinks your eyes need clearing.
Trump's economic policy doesn't make sense, this is what needs a reset. The only good trade barriers are those that protect us from countries whose companies compete unfairly because they don't adequately pay workers and/or don't care about the environment. What's the point of trade barriers if our country's policies are regressing themselves to those of a developing country?
8
Yes, policy will not be part of his legacy. Absent intervention soon, history will remember Donald Trump as the president who made truth a lie, law a matter of power and privilege, and the American project a journey into its dark past. Making America great again has become a toxic nostalgia for grimy coal, segregation, and Manifest Destiny. He will prevail as long as he remembers the nation's sacred texts are not the Constitution and Declaration of Independence but the balance sheets of our plutocrats and oligarchs.
18
The very real problem trump has for me is he has no credibility. He read things a speech writer prepared with the goal of getting cheers from the crowd and a bump in his rating's. There is no policy behind any of it and by this morning trump has forgot the majority of what he said.
30
Trump probably approached this speech as if it were a very special episode of The Apprentice. He knew he had a role to play and he did that. Now he'll go back to his normal routine of Fox-tweet-golf.
I do worry that as the 2018 election approaches, his team will repeat their successful tactic from 2016 and get him to stop tweeting for a few weeks. They'll get him to "act presidential", like someone who agrees to go on a grapefruit diet before their annual weigh in. And folks with short memories might lose the motivation to vote against him. But at least we only have nine months to go til the election.
12
I'm more interested in what kind of additional payout, or perhaps threat, was made to 'Stormy' to change her story and say that she did not have an 'affair' with the President.
Sounds like Bill Clinton's parsing the definition of 'sex'.
Hope Mueller subpoenas her.
Imagine the ratings if done on live TV.
'Ms. Daniels, I show you what I've previously marked as 'Exhibit A', a copy of a Forbes magazine with Mr. Trump's picture on the cover. Might that refresh your recollection of the events?'
8
“his failure to follow through on his campaign’s populist promises is high on the list”
Trump did follow through on the stylistic elements of his populism, constantly defying political correctness and elite norms on Twitter. That didn’t make him very popular.
If he’d followed through on the substantive elements of his populism, he’d still be unpopular because we wouldn’t have the good economy for him to brag about. This good economy has largely been caused by the stock market and better conditions abroad. Populist policies such as a trade war would have sank both of those.
Trump’s populism is only popular with an angry minority; it is not genuinely popular with most Americans. 2016 happened because Trump did well among the unprecedented number of voters who disapproved of both candidates; his victory should thus be seen as a rejection of Hillary Clinton’s agenda and not any endorsement of his own agenda.
5
Trump's agenda never changes: it's all about him, everywhere, all the time. He's just play acting at being president.
1
When will congressional republicans wake up and see the devastation done to our national debt? Will they say no to infrastructure like they did repeatedly to Obama because of the deficit? No I bet they wait until Democrats are in charge again to worry about it. And Trump has no clue, he has filed bankruptcy many times in business (and that makes his a successful businessman?) he doesn't pay attention to what happens next. This economy - that Obama built in his 8 years in office and Trump continues to reap the benefits - will not be the same in 2020; all chickens come home to roost.
9
“I suspect the speech was effective, that it might help lift Trump temporarily upward from his mean of 38 percent approval toward the “we’re holding the House by our fingernails” promised land of 44 percent.”
Incorrect, Mr. Douthat. Trump won’t get more popular. In fact, when the economy slips into a recession later this year or in 2019, Trump’s popularity will permanently move into the 20s, and never recover.
8
Mr. Douthat misses the mark here while seeking to normalize Mr. Trump as being within the spectrum of a traditional politician. Mr. Trump’s mendacity goes far beyond what anyone ever elected president of this country has ever done. And his authoritarian and divisive actions, backed by dissembling rhetoric that treats the average voter as if he or she was seeking to buy a used car, is frankly unacceptable. The State of the Union is dire and if Mr. Douthat’s response is to view Mr. Trump simply as a flawed populist, he is mistaken.
234
I think Douthat s right about our response to Trump. I am strongly opposed to Trump but I think all of us who oppose him need to do so more strategically. I often cringe when my favorite politicians or TV commentators make fun of Trump. We would do better to criticize his lack of policy, his dependence on White House hacks such as Stephen Miller, his abrupt reversal of proposed agreements, the many promises he made in the campaign that he isn’t fulfilling — like his promise of the best healthcare plan, his promise to seek policies to help the average worker, etc. We need to concentrate on those things rather than the personal. Yes, he often behaves like a buffoon and bully, but I think we will do better if we overlook the outrageous persona and concentrate on his performance.
126
Please excuse my asking this question, how much more qualified was Valarie Jarrett to be the closest counsellor to President Obama than Mr. Miller is to Trump?
As I recall, Ms. Jarrett's claim to fame was that she sold sub-prime mortgages to a community that found out that they couldn't afford the monthly mortgage, let alone the municipal taxes, utility bills, and maintenance costs.
Laughter as the saying goes is the best medicine. But the stakes are very very high when it comes to the American Presidency. I agree that its far too easy to focus on what President Trump is saying rather than what he is actually doing. But going beyond that will also require a certain introspection - and humility - on the part of the President's opponents.
To a certain degree, all of us are responsible not only for the election of Donald Trump but for the extremely partisan politics in this country. How we manage to go beyond this partisanship (or not) is going to play a key role in the upcoming midterm elections.
I got home late, and I'll read a transcript and analysis later, but I just cannot stand the sound of his voice or mannerisms and couldn't bring myself to turn it on. Nor to watch standing ovations which just fuel his self-centeredness and allow him to think he's so great. Furthermore, I simply don't trust anything he says, nor like most of it anyway. Predictable.
11
"...pursuing conventionally right-wing policies — unsuccessfully on health care, successfully on taxes..."
Can someone explain to me why we're all pretending that the Republicans did not repeal Obamacare? They simply did it in the tax bill, and without even pretending to offer a replacement. Without the individual mandate, we'll either have to, say, switch the Defense Department budget over to health care to cover the subsidies, or the whole thing will collapse.
3
I've lost track of how many times a "reset" was to occur. Just how many wrong turns are acceptable? One would think the number of lies he's told would have broken the reset button long ago. The nation is in a dangerous place.
I think any number of decent actors, with the help of experienced speech-writers, could have delivered an acceptable speech with tones of unification. Handling the office of the presidency is something else.
5
As someone who was burdened by the tax on healthy individuals that President Obama imposed, I am glad our new President pushed to repeal the individual mandate. No one should have their freedoms curtailed, when they pay their bills, and choose to take care of themselves first.
That's the message President Trump is spreading, Ross. When you take care of your own needs first and foremost, you are stronger and better able to privately help others. We used to call that independence. President Obama made it seem like a dirty word...
23
And when you and others who resent the Obamacare tax are no longer "healthy individuals", what will you do? Some of you will be able to purchase health insurance privately, or simply pay medical costs as the arise, but a great many of you will not. So you will go to emergency rooms and receive "free" care. Except that it won't be free. It will be paid for by all taxpayers, whereas you, who will now simply be freeloaders, should have contributed to medical care costs all along. Perhaps the policy should be that people who cannot pay for medical care, whether because of lack of private resources or because of lack of insurance, should just be allowed to suffer and die. What a great health care plan that would be. Very Republican.
19
@Midway
We pay to fund the military because we have a shared interest in defense. We pay for roads because we have a shared interest in an effective infrastructure. We pay for scientific research because we have a shared interest in understanding the physical world we live in. We pay for car insurance because we have a shared interest in protecting against the unexpected on the roads. These are all mandated by law, and we all pay them because the failure to do so hurts us all. But you won't require that people pay, on a means-tested basis, to ensure that the unexpected health crisis does not impact families, communities, mortgages and municipal budgets for the sake of "freedom?" This is a failure of the imagination that packages cruelty, irresponsibility and selfishness into public policy. It's shameful.
17
I wager that when you need emergency room treatment, you will take advantage of the mandate that the hospital treat you whether you are able to pay or not. And when you stiff the hospital and doctors on the bill, the rest of us will end up paying for you through our raised premiums. This is what you call "taking care of yourself." Nice.
15
I did not watch his address.
I will not contribute to his ratings.
I will watch every minute of his impeachment proceedings, however.
10
Ross,
Please name a couple of politicians “whose own political interest isn’t served by any kind of major immigration deal”. The implication that there are Democrats in Congress who are against immigration reform because they favor “open borders” and like illegal immigration is a right wing canard perpetuated by Trump an other anti-immigration extremists.
10
What is Conservative about a rising National Debt that always rises under Republicans. The tax cuts are nothing but stolen money from future generations to make the current economy look like it’s growing. There is no possible infrastructure bill because we have no more money to invest. See if our rich Corporations will donate the money to help. Oh wait that is like a tax. So I guess NO. Maybe some of those Tea Party folks will switch parties now that the Republicans are the financially irresponsible party they claimed the Democrats were. All we had last night was a woeful Sales job ala Trump. Not worth the listen unless you like getting duped.
4
We have a President who has failed to defend the nation from an attack by a hostile foreign power and is resisting the investigation of that attack. He has enriched his private interests, and those of his family, directly and openly. He has denounced the press as “the enemy of the people.” He has threatened his political opponent with imprisonment. He has denigrated our allies as well as a whole continent with racist vulgarities. So, Trump may well warrant impeachment, and whether that is a good idea is arguable, but you can’t impeach the people who back him or the party that put him out there, even though he reflects their character perfectly: a failure of the spirit, of the imagination, and, most acutely, of public education; a lack of courage and an active moral compass. Such people will still be around when he's gone and they will not change; they are literally besieged by a rapidly changing environment about which they can do nothing but obstruct and kow-tow to those whose wealth they venerate as Godly. Consider for a moment what it has come to: roughly forty per cent of the population, armed and dangerous, with a Waco incident mindset and their own political party whose brand is ignorance and fraud, plus bespoke propaganda services. Though they may well be beaten at the polls after some soul searching by the Dems, will they always be with us or somehow fade away through succeeding generations via the process of human evolution? We can only hope and stay vigilant.
5
Trying for a reset that was not successful. Amidst a women movement against harassment, Trump seemed to be on another planet talking about his Maginot Line. Again. he delivered a picture of criminal immigrants at the time of stating that Americans are dreamers too. It was the closest to "all lives matter" that I have heard.
So the exception in offering details on immigration reform was tinted with xenophobia and making clear that mothers will not be welcome to the USA. It was a weird feeling. I am American. The president delivered so many great things coming to Americans but I did not feel included.
What I found interesting was the promise to remove any federal employee that fails the American people. If fulfilled, we will have a White House without Trumps.
4
I didn’t watch the speech; the thought of his raspy barked delivery and deep gulps of air from back breathing was too much to endure. I’ll read it and read about it, but I expect merely more of the same: a president who believes our democratic institutions are meant to serve him rather than the People, and disgraceful personal character.
6
Giving Trump credit for the economy is like giving the medal to someone who wins by crashing the race in the last lap and tripping all the other contestants.
Yes, the economy grew in 2017 more than in 2016 BUT only because his candidacy dragged 2016 down. If you compare to pre-2016, it was actually a slow-down. And one that comes with a bonus stock market bubble to boot. Awesome.
Didn't watch. We're a legacy Nielsen house so I wasn't going to give him any ratings.
Read the transcript and was not surprised at the hypocrisy, fantasy and general fear-mongering and dog whistling. Basically, a Steven Miller basic: light on substance, heavy on fake news and alternative "realities".
5
I must confess to not watching Trumps speech. He induces a gag reflex in me an causes anxiety for hours on end. I did read and watch some of the autopsy on the speech and not surprising was underwhelming. I see no way that Trump is going to help the average American or in any way make our country better. China is now the lead economic dog and it will take us years to come back to a world leadership role. Very very sad.
6
I am not worried. Trump will tweet today and all of last night's meaningless rhetoric will be forgotten.
3
I became bored about a quarter of the way through the State of the Union address. That was wrong of me.
He stood there clapping like little rocket man.
I thought he was the President of the United States.
4
Yes, Ross, the Trump who ran for President did not run as a typical Republican oligarch--the Bannon influence was in his rhetoric and statements were made that implied working class people who were hurting in the world's changing economy might have a champion.
Unfortunately, a little research would have shown that there was no way this rhetoric should've been believed--not for a second. Trump is still an oligarch--one who bristles at the treatment he sometimes gets from his fellow oligarchs who don't like his lack of refinement, but still an oligarch. And he was going to follow oligarchic policies, just like any other Republican.
That means reverse Robin Hood--taking from the poor and giving to the rich. Nothing Trump has done so far has differed from that basic tenet. He may not have a lot of sophistication as regards policy detail, but he knows what he likes--and what he likes is money, and policies that enable him, and those he thinks are like him, to have more of it, as he and they deserve it--and the hoi polloi do not.
So, tax cuts for the rich. So, health care and insurance if you can pay for it. So, dumping all those pesky regulations that might check the greedy rapaciousness of unfettered business.
It's nice to have a dream, Ross--a dream of a Republican actually concerned about those less fortunate. But, as per Michael Stipe, that was just a dream. Just a dream. Just a dream.
8
Even in an overly long and rather dull recitation of all the wonderful things he has done for us, the real narcissist and would-be dictator slipped out: "“I call on the congress to empower every Cabinet secretary with the authority to reward good workers—and to remove federal employees who undermine the public trust or fail the American people.” He has, in more candid moments, called for a purge of the FBI and keeps wondering why the Justice Department cannot protect him from Mueller's investigation.
8
I must disagree with Mr. Douthat and other conservative columnists in saying that, as a whole, Democrats have become extreme and uncompromising. Party members are outraged and terrified by the monster that is Donald Trump but from a policy standpoint the party has shown, on issues like immigration, a great willingness to compromise. Our successful candidates in recent elections have been low key and moderate. Trump's downfall will have nothing to do with the quality of his policies but rather from either criminal behavior or voter fatigue. Conservatives have no right to accuse Democrats of being infected with the same extremist disease that has decimated and destroyed the credibility of the GOP.
214
“Projection” is the psychological term you describe and Republicans have been using it to their advantage since before Bush II.
3
You are so right. This both sides are guilty argument or false equivalence gives the GOP shelter from their actions. The media has beaten this drum for so long that many Americans who lack critical thinking skills or knowledge of what has happened in American politics in the last 10 years just assume the media is telling them the truth. One of the main reasons that we are at this very place with Trump in the White House is the media insistence on false equivalence which gives the GOP a place to hide and continue its radically destructive and obstructive behavior.
3
The Democrats - even after last night's State of the Union - still have the political momentum in their favor. The polls may show that most Americans "liked" the President's speech last night, but do they actually trust the President? There are of course many Americans who don't fully trust the Democrats (or Democrat politicians) either. But I think that ALL Americans - like all people - just want to live in a fair, peaceful, and prosperous world, and the President still needs to convince them that that is the world we are currently living in.
The Democrats this year not only have to convince American voters that they have coherent and workable government policies. They have to convince voters that they have a clear, compelling, and alternative vision for America. The absence of this vision is what's hurting the Democrat Party the most right now, and simply "opposing" the President and his Party will only go so far in voter's minds during the midterm elections.
TLDR: President Trump and the GOP (or what's left of the of the GOP) have clearly laid out their vision for America. Can the Democrats do the same thing?
"So you could read tonight's remarks (a better idea than listening to their somewhat soporific delivery)..."
Excellent point. I did not bother to view the speech in live time. President Trump does not merit that level of respect from me.
10
We heard a speech written by a group of political operatives, and delivered by a salesman who got through it without flying into tangents of hatred and self-aggrandizement. It was a totally canned performance aimed at pulling in enough people outside Trump's "base" to maintain control of the House and Senate for the next few years. It was political theatre. At this point, words from Trump are de facto meaningless. No insight counts, because there is nothing there to see. Trump's actions over the past year have made his platform and policies clear to anyone who watches, listens, and thinks. The sad reality is that some people agree with them.
11
If you write for the NYT, you almost have an obligation to sound dismal about Trump. I thought the speech was very good, not only for what it said, but also for what it did not say. Talking about abortion is hardly the right thing to do in a SOTU address.
Democrats sat on their hands for much of the address but they did not walk out. And how COULD they walk away from these American heroes? It was a smart move on Trump's part.
You say, "and why it’s already slipped away.".
I do not think it has slipped away. You have bought into the gloom and doom talk of the Democrats which has started to bore me. I hope you will join me, some day, in being fed up with the negativity of the Democrats.
Since when was "likability" a key factor in leadership. Truman eschewed it and told us the buck stopped on this desk. We need a leader who can get it done, spend his powers on doing, and less on being liked as Obama did.
Nobody "likes" anyone else but themselves these days, anyway. What we should want is needed change. We may be getting some of it.
Forget the smooth-talking, hand-shaking, ever-smiling pols. They care more about their egregious pensions, Cadillac health-care plans and getting elected again.
Let's just like the good changes we may get, and quit focusing on the fawning of "likable" fakirs.
22
So what are "we" getting exactly? He and his family spend 1/4 to 1/3 of their time on vacation (and Suzanne Petterson admitted she has witnessed his cheating at golf) and he is busy making private deals while spending taxpayer money like it grows on trees. (In one year their play time has cost the country as much as in two full terms of the Obamas). My husband and I are retirees who are in decent financial shape but no where near even 10% status, but our taxes will probably go up. Our national parks and monuments are under threat as are our clean waters and clean air. Businesses can't fill many jobs, even good paying ones because our schools are not training people to have the needed skills. So just what change should we be celebrating if we are not billionaires getting Yuuuge tax cuts or low income workers getting tiny ones? And where is the wonderful healthcare for all at lower cost he promised? Infrastructure?
7
You have my sincerest sympathies in response to your statement "Nobody 'likes' anyone but themselves these days, anyway". You must live in an isolated and self-serving world.
8
I agree that likability is not a key factor in leadership but good policy is important and I think Mr. Trumps policies do not serve the interest of the vast majority of Americans. So too with most of the Republican agenda.
3
You say that he is unpopular because he hasn't delivered on his nationalist promises, yet his core followers are ecstatic about how wonderful he is and "what a great job" he is doing. Who else cares about his promises?
As to the immigration "deal" the White House offered. It is NOT a compromise. Majorities of both Democrats and Republicans (voters) what Dreamers to be able to stay and have a path to citizenship, so Trump 'gives' nothing there. The rest is simply a list of GOP demands. Where is the give from the right? There is none.
107
"Majorities of both Democrats and Republicans (voters) what Dreamers to be able to stay and have a path to citizenship, so Trump 'gives' nothing there."
That's simply not true. RePhrase the question to GOP voters and ask if they support allowing the dreamers to stay without receiving more border security and you will have arrived at the truth. I realize the truth is not something progs value very much...
1
I'd say the "give" is not deporting the "Dreamers" who, however likable and sympathetic, remain criminals in the eyes of the law. Just sayin'
1
Not being fans of reality shows, glad we skipped what we understand was an overly-long speechifying version of a contestant proving he can read out loud the written English language.
Best time we've spent away from politics since ignoring the 1/20/17 inauguration.
307
Last night I finally had an epiphany about the true meaning of "fake news."
I watched President Trump give his State of the Union -- Donald Trump is fake news.
312
Trump came across as normal. Good economy plus immigrant bashing might be good enough to keep Republicans in control after the November elections and could be good enough to get him re-elected in 2020.
Unless.
Democrats need a strong message that is more than "not Trump" and more unifying than, "my identity matters." The message should be one that resonates Americans who accept the fundamental premise that all people are created equal.
If Democrats focus on equality of opportunity for all American citizens, celebrate our diversity, show respect for people who disagree, rule of law, the environment and the world beyond our borders, they will have a resonant message that can win.
95
"Democrats need a strong message that is more than "not Trump" and more unifying than, "my identity matters." The message should be one that resonates Americans who accept the fundamental premise that all people are created equal."
That's like asking a dog to purr or a cat to bark.
You speak as if the electorate were a reasonable bunch of people in agreement with the basic American values - equal opportunity, diversity, respect for difference, environment, embrace of global culture. An electorate just waiting for the "right" message from the Democrats.
Trump's election proved that almost half of them don't meet that criterion. Now what?
6
Rule of law, yes - especially for the man and cronies in the White House.
1
The P. T. Barnum of American racism and imperialism, the chief bigot-in-denial brought his show to Congress last night. The State of the Union was really about the state of Trump. Which chimera would show up?
The speech was also about the price of admission to America, the attractions and illusions, the fears and thrills, flag-wrapped in kieg-lighted negative space by a President who a major news organization has said is unfit to clean toilets in his predecessor's future library.
We got a replay of his biggest hits. Lots of dead people, cherry picked politicized grief. A closed door, denial America where imaginary immigrants are more dangerous than real school shootings, the 1600 mass shootings on Trump watch, the nation's largest domestic attack—the cause and center mass of America's “new moment.”
Trump's foofaraw (fuss) over America is abject fantasy: so it is reasonable to recognize his fixation on "growth" and the power of hate and fear as signs of his self deception that he reigns over the world and the US.
A Man is insane when he dwells in fantasy.
Yet we are witnessing iconic loyalty to a man intent on destroying democracy—who many voters still support.
His SOTU was a list of blame narratives to populations of religion and color, drawing from a deep well of stereotypes and smears for Pavlovian political responses. He described an America building an expensive wall of fear, left to the mercy of xenophobic vanities.
221
Exactly the kind of liberal tirade from Mr. Rhett that got us where we are today. And the Republicans have their own version of fomentation. Until this hammer-headed, fit-throwing, hate-filled prevarication stops on both sides, there will be a lot to be xenophobic about, Walter.
Could be Trump may be so distasteful to so many people that he will actually help? People who didn't think voting was important are now inspired to vote. Trump has exposed the Hypocrisy of The Right. The right has always present itself as the party of family values and lovers of Law Enforcement.Trump's oafish behavior and attacks on the FBI negates any high ground the Right pretended it had. If Trump win again if he chose to run will say more about us as a nation than it will say about Trump.
3
And yet over 75% of Americans approved of the speech. Where do you suppose the disconnect is?
As Obama said, Hope is fundamental factor for human beings to live and survive any struggle.
Let's hope that this POTUS has finally understood to usefully exploit the high quality competences of scholars and experts to draft and implement an effective plan for priority policies like infrastructures and migration.
Maybe Mr. Douthat is right. It is late to lift his popularity rate but his advisers are still there to help him making the right choices for the American people welfare.
10
What advisers? Miller? There's no hope here. This craven, sorry excuse for a "man" does not belong in the position he is in and the "high quality" scholars and experts have already run for the hills. We virtually have no state department. He has demonstrated that he will kneecap anyone at any time.
1
What's so Hopeful about his advisers?!?
Stephen Miller? Ivanka? Jared?
Self involved small minded people with no moral compass whose only skill set is to enrich themselves.
3
Do you mean his advisors who are in agreement with gutting the EPA, dodging and/or closing the Mueller investigation, off-shore drilling for oil, denial of climate change?
2
Provided the economy continues to come through, “If you like this economy, you should like me, too” could well re-elect him. Trump wasn’t elected primarily on the populist desires of conservatives, he was elected because he promised to super-charge the Obama “recovery”. Certainly, the kind of populism that Ross flogs here as so central to Trump’s message never appealed to those Rust Belt Midwestern states whose union Democratic voters so unexpectedly put him over. What convinced THEM was the economic beef, which Trump and Republicans can defensibly claim to have delivered with dramatically lessened stultifying regulation and a tax bill that legitimately is spurring domestic multinationals to invest mightily in America.
“It’s the economy, stupid”. Obama never really got that, or had no ideas about how to focus effectively on it. Obviously, it’s wisdom Trump has taken to heart.
“Trump tries for a reset”? Why not, and why is that bad or worthy of Ross’s contempt? Trump’s SOTU speech had enough in it to energize his base, then added enough to cause moderates – on BOTH sides of the aisle – to consider him in a new light. The only people who had reason not to like it -- #NeverTrumpers – undoubtedly are concerned because it was SO effective.
That speech may have been the best performance of Trump’s LIFE, not just of his presidency so far.
10
"Supercharged"? For corporations, capital holders, and the wealthy but not for America's families!
Flat wages raise consumer spending worries https://reut.rs/2zcU9RD
US housing starts down sharply on drop in single-family units http://cnb.cx/2Dp2AeN
94
Walter:
They just recently passed the tax bill. You might give them more than five minutes before lambasting them that eight years of a snail-like Obama "recovery" hasn't been "supercharged" overnight. But the Apple and other news is quite encouraging.
4
No recession in almost a decade. I would say we are do. The recovery was weak; however, there was no double-dip recession and the financial crash was quite severe.
The recovery was aided by low interest rates courtesy of the FED. If the economy cannot survive ten year Treasury bills yielding over 3%, then good bye recovery and good bye Donald.
A minor recession will be a small price to pay to save our Republic from the idiot Trump and his cynical enablers.
53
Yes, to be sure, he sure does want a reset.
“I call on the congress to empower every Cabinet secretary with the authority to reward good workers—and to remove federal employees who undermine the public trust or fail the American people.”
63
Yeah, that was one of the few things about his speech I not only didn't like, but regarded as an "oops" moment -- and a very dangerous idea.
Its one saving grace is that it doesn't have a snowball's chance in hell of being enacted. But to his most retrograde base, who blame government for everything bad, I'm sure it was encouraging.
8
He certainly does his part to "undermine the public trust" and "fail the American people." Is he calling for his own removal? (That would be worth celebrating.)
17
For once I agree with R.L.
Trump's base is the problem. They do hate the federal government and hate even more the federal employees. I went to a right wing congressman's town hall in 2011 and the "base" was there recommending "cutting federal employees pay be 20%." (after getting rid of a substantial number).
The "conservative base" is the problem.
6
We know that he can read from a teleprompter and sound somewhat articulate. His speech was typical of any dictator. It is us versus them. Good versus evil. Internal and external threats to our safety and way of life. The dictator knows what's best for America. Don't be fooled by his statesmanlike words. Beware of his actions.
360
Do you wonder why Trump left the room so suddenly? He and his aides were warned that the concoction that kept him calm and concentrated on the TelePrompter would wear off after 90 minutes.
11
"His speech was typical of any dictator. It is us versus them."
Yes, the progs never engage in identity politics. Big Brother smiles....
He can't get by without ad-libbing "You believe me" and adding adjectives like "great" and "tremendous" in front of every noun. And his body language, the way he uses his hands, that is stilted, like a six-year old after coaching by the elementary school teacher; add to that the self-applause (body selfies), which is quite similar to the way that Kim Jung-un applauds his perceived successes. If teen-agers see in him a role model, America is going to look like the blind moles of Dylan Thomas, in daylight useless. From there, it's downhill...
3
Ross' regrets match up perfectly with those of every other President-watcher.
No prez I can recall did NOT leave things truly important to his allies/partners undone in the FIRST year. You could write a book of the progressive intentions left untouched by the last guy's first year - and he had a 60-vote majority in the Senate.
There will always be social regrets about Trump, plus the flood of made-up charges created for hate-training purposes.
YET he has done more for this country in his first year than any post-Civil War president, and perhaps any since Washington. Had you written this process in a novel, no one would have bothered to print it.
3
I seem to remember two guys named Roosevelt. Ever heard of them?
7
It makes me tired every time someone claims that Obama had majorities in both houses, and was therefore negligent in not passing much of the legislation that he wanted. Between Ted Kennedy's illness and other factors, the Democrats had an actual majority in both houses for as little as two months.
It takes two months just for Trump to put forward and then withdraw nominations for positions, after the Senate exposes his picks as the absolute unqualified hacks that they are.
With majorities in both houses for over a year Trump was unable to do much about the Affordable Care Act, except to weaken it and then claim that as it continued to degrade that he had nothing to do with it.
16
Let's see: he's promised to save coal, and its closing mines. He promised Middle East peace, and he's caused more conflict and lower peace prospects. He's threatened North Korea and, by implication, ourselves from their weapons. He's threatened 800,000 Dreamers. He's made himself and his friends richer by adding $1.5trillion to the deficit over 10 years. He destroyed America's reputation around the world by making us an unreliable partner, and all for no gain or value. He's coarsened public discourse with his frisky thumbs. How exactly is the 'good' for anyone?
12
Ross, no matter Trump's accomplishments this past year, no Democrat will admit that any of them happened because Democrats and the liberals, far-leftists and anarchists which have taken over their party won't be happy until Trump is no longer President. He is President until 2020 and, hopefully, four more after that.
It seems like many Dems will run for President in 2020 and they will all try to outdo each other as the most liberal candidate. This country is not majority Liberal or far-leftist; it's just some of the states on the two coasts. They can't get a very liberal candidate elected President. Remember what happened to Bernie and Hillary, two way too liberal candidates for this country. The rest of America spoke up and "Resisted," more liberalism and socialism.
As for Trump's speech, it was the best State of the Union since Clinton, a moderate Democrat who I voted for twice.
14
Yes, treason and mayhem, destruction, violence, and hatred pales in comparison with being a Democrat. Even the watered-down Democrats of today are dangerous radicals, don't you see?
We mustn't care for the families of those fetuses, they're too real. That kind of life isn't worth saving. Only those "precious" unborns are pure enough to hurt anyone who gets away, including their mothers.
165
Olivia puts it exactly right. What a year it has been for the workers!
6
A few measly crumbs for the workers while the hedge fund managers, real estate developers, multinational corporations, the 1%, and the wealthy reaped millions. That's the Art of His Deal
195
"So this State of the Union ... showed what a more successful version of the Trump presidency would look like - still conservative on many fronts but more genuinely populist, less same-old G.O.P."
This is really Douthat's dream, rather than anything that Trump envisions or could envision. Douthat, against his own reason, can't help day dreaming sometimes that Trump just could do for G.O.P what Douthat once believed Palin could do for the G.O.P.: the dream of a G.O.P. that actually understands and cares about blue collar and working class issues. A pipe dream, since Conservativism is, by definition, a status-quo party, and the status-quo merely needs the working class to barely subsist and submit.
154
I suppose the times have passed me by, but when I first learned about conservatism it wasn't philosophically about the status quo. It was about making changes slowly and carefully. Now there is little philosophy, just a series of disconnected and sometimes contradictory stands on particular topics - many of which are really reactionary.
34
I'd like to add that David Brooks often approaches that conservative ideal and so does Bret Stephens when he avoids the old Republican bromides.
1
Trump gave more than 'generalities about the flag,' Ross. He used a twelve year old boy as a weapon to hit those football players who kneel, rather than stand, for the National Anthem.
And his foreign policy section wasn't empty, either. He hypocritically said he stood with demonstrators in Iran, although we know he stands with ruthless dictators in Russia, the Philippines and more. That was just a segue into his criticism of the nuclear accord, which had nothing to do with democracy.
Further, Trump boasted of financially threatening the Palestinians and every other group who objects to him gifting Israel with Jerusalem. Trump called that our sovereign right, but thinks nothing of bullying other sovereign countries.
One year of Trump has gotten you mistaking the offensive for the anodyne.
476
Fantastic synopsis - and thanks for the 7-letter scrabble word. I've had 'anodyne' in my rack more than once and never thought of this great word.
2
Hey, look on the bright side. He didn't shoot any body.
"What there was instead was something you can expect to hear a lot of between now and November 2020: If you like this economy, you should like me, too."
And this is a huge problem. The economy WILL slip. The storm clouds are on the horizon. I lost tens of thousands in my retirement accounts on M an T. It's coming....
50
I didn't watch and I usually do. But, I do not trust one word of anything Trump says. Why would anyone? He lies continually, daily! He supposedly makes deals and then backs out on a whim. He's the same unreliable man who failed in multiple business ventures, gone bankrupt multiple times, notoriously doesn't pay small contractors, vendors, and has 3 of his election team under inditement, with more coming likely. Why would any decent citizen want to listen to that drivle? I certainly didnt! There's nothing redeemable about this man, nothing. He's cruel to boot! Puerto Rico is no longer going to relieve emergency food and water! What other American President has that on his record? I'm betting, none! It's a nightmare this corrupt, con man sits in the Oval Offuce!
560
I, too, chose not to watch the address because I would just have sat there filled with resentment for all this man's lies, bullying, and full-bore attempt to destroy our judicial system, pollute our climate, sell-off our national parks, sow disrespect for our free press, collude with Russians to denigrate our electoral process, and line his pockets through synergistic business dealings while in office. I did have the TV on in another room, though, and felt sickened while hearing fawning cheers in the well of the House from Republicans who have traded in their oaths of office for the perceived security of living in Trump's corpulent shadow and maybe a day's freedom as a target from the president's bullying tweets. I could not watch, in short, what we have become as a nation -- weak, dim, cowardly, and dishonest: the "state of the union" under Trump.
7
The entire second half of Trump's speech was hate-inspired dog whistles to his "base. " I could hardly bear to listen. He is not the leader of all Americans. Not by a long shot.
Joe Kennedy's response, by contrast was inspiring. The contrast could not have been greater
510
And now, by implication (not to mention pedigree), Joe Kennedy is the leader of Americans? Wow. That was quick. Always amazing how the rebuttal to the SOTU address, by either party, is their perceived saviour. From the perspective here in Asia, Trump's first year was pretty good, for an outsider, despite all the rhetoric.
4
I absolutely detest this idea that the opposition gets equal time to respond to the President's State of the Union address. President Trump is fulfilling his Constitutional duty to give a State of the Union address. However there is nothing in the Constitution that gives the President's opponents the right to have a rebuttal after the State of the Union.
Yes Trumps first year is good for Asia and China because China is free to do whatever it wants coz US has no moral leadership anymore. It’s great for China as the leader of largest trader, exporter, market and economy because TPP is dead. It’s great for China coz US debt is over 105% of GDP thanks in no small measure to tax cuts for the rich and corporations.
8
The money I paid in all my life towards Medicare and Social Security is, not, repeat not, an "entitlement". It is a wisely designed collective insurance plan that saves everyone misery and money. It can easily be fixed by charging a flat tax (rather than a regressive one) on all income, and lowering the rate, so it comes out of not just basic income that is needed to get by, but the part that is not strictly needed for basics.
Republicans don't love flat taxes as much as they love regressive ones, that fall mostly on those who have the least. It's odd how greedy the wealthy are; too much money seems to be bad for the morals, encouraging hoarding and exclusion.
Looting these funds is not reform, it is stealing!
768
Ryan's strategy is to make the country broke enough with this new tax law that we won't be able to pay for Medicare and SS down the road. Thus he will pitch for reform.
39
So that you may know the cause of your worry:
From OnTheIssues.org -
Today, the federal government automatically puts all of the money that should be set aside for the Social Security Trust Fund into the General Fund. Raiding the Social Security Trust Fund was a precedent set in 1968 by progressive president Lyndon B. Johnson to help pay for the Vietnam War.
To date, the federal government has borrowed over $2 trillion from the Social Security Trust Fund to spend on other programs.
3
A flat tax is actually a regressive tax. Let's say we tax all income at 10%. No loopholes, no deductions. 10% of $50,000 hurts a lot more more than 10% of $100,000. 10% of $500,000 is nothing and 10% of $1,000,000 is chump change.
8
" something you can expect to hear a lot of between now and November 2020: If you like this economy, you should like me, too.
Politicians have won re-election with that sort of messaging. But few of them have had as far to climb to reach even basic likability as President Donald J. Trump."
But few of those politicians had their own TV reality show and run their presidency as prime time low brow TV fare. There's a sucker born every minute and they grow up to vote.
115
While 54 percent of eligible voters went to the polls for last presidential election, wealthier people turned out in greater proportion than poorer, more educated in greater proportion than less, women greater than men. whites more than blacks (slightly), more than Asian or Hispanic. No statistics are kept on suckers. You rightly point out areas that would appear to represent Trumpian assets in attracting votes, though some find those reason to oppose.
What is going to be key is whether he runs, and how the opposition candidate is going to be perceived by voters.
did not watch it. why bother? watched a movie about sarkozy -a sort of mini-trump. since the republicans have shown themselves to be merely clay in trump's hands I will never vote for any republican at any level.
198
The lever is on the left.
It's time to flush Trump and the Republican party before they totally destroy everything positive accomplished in this country over the last 60 years.
It's also sad that a president shows zero willingness to support the beliefs of the majority of people in this country. Just because the majority of people didn't vote for him is irrelevant.
241
TRK - Since the time of St. Ronnie, GOP'ers have been putting on a good act of just being your friendly common-sense neighbor; problem was how they got radicalized when they got to D.C. Along with St. Ronnie, Karl Rove's politics ascended, which combined with Newtie Gingrich, the preacher crowd and Tom Delay, to radicalize down to the local level, demonizing everyone who wasn't a GOP'er.
Friends don't let friends vote GOP !
35
trk- Didn't watch either. Watched a lightweight comedy on HBO instead. But on seeing snippets of it today on various news programs I am disgusted and, frankly, disturbed by ryan's abject adulation of trump. He looks like a sappy teen on his first date with the head cheerleader. Does he look at his wife with as much open adoration as he does trump? And this is the integrity guy? He could not look more (ph)sycophantic than he does. These people are truly frightening. They are more than willing to sell our democracy to the Russians , putin and this wanna be authoritarian dictator. They showed a Jimmy Kimmel skit featuring Pence introducing the various members of Congress; Lying Ted, Little Marco, Pocahontas, Crying Chuck, Sneaky Diane, Sloppy Steve, Jeff Flakey, etc and it was difficult to discern whether it was farce or reality.
We are heading into dangerous territory with a complicit republican congress willing to overlook all our Constitutional restraints and laws. Others have stated we survived Nixon and Bush but their illegal activities pale aside of what this administration is attempting to do, with the republicans full throated support, to destroy our democracy, the integrity of the vote, (our most precious right), attacks on free speech, our environment, our rule of law. trump has been accused of, at minimum, turning a blind eye to Russian interference with our election. How are we free when our vote is so compromised? I have my doubts that our democracy will survive.
17