The LuLac Edition #3459, April 2nd, 2017

HOW TRUMP CAN STOP THE SLIDE

(Photo: The Verge)

Currently President Donald Trump’s Presidency is in a slide. This is concerning because he has not yet even hit the 100 day mark. Trump’s Presidency has gotten off to one of the worst starts in Presidential history. There are only three Presidencies that I can think of that started off worse than the real estate mogul’s era.
1. William Henry Harrison: He died after 30 days so at least we didn’t have to deal with that issue.
2. Gerald Ford’s administration after the Nixon Pardon. Now I agreed with that action as well as most people do in historical hindsight. Ford felt that he needed to get the issues of his predecessor off the national media landscape and history proved him right. But he was hard pressed to recover his footing until the Mayaguez incident several months later. (A merchant boat was seized by the Khmer Rouge. The crew was safe and released but U.S. Marines stormed the boat anyway. It was still viewed as a decisive act by Ford).
3. Jimmy Carter. Carter stalled right out of the gate by thinking he and his Georgia Mafia were going to change Washington. That was not to be since Carter and his team blew numerous opportunities with a Democratic led Congress. The parallels between Carter and Trump are fascinating.
Both were elected in “change” elections. The winning is easy, the governing sometimes proves to be vexing because there has to be some type of plan. Carter had one, his own. It was one he could define. For Trump not so much. The Health Care Bill is an example.
It seems to me that Carter’s welcome wore out longer than Trump’s.
With all that in mind, here’s how Trump can save his Presidency. I know, I know, I’ve been tough on the guy and will continue to be. I think he is unsuited intellectually and emotionally for the job. But I want the country to succeed. Here are my suggestions which I’m sure will never happen. But nevertheless here we go.
1. Jettison the Freedom Caucus. No matter what you do, it will never be good enough for them. They ran off a Speaker and aren’t afraid of you.
2. Start trying to build a coalition with willing Democrats as well as the Moderates in your party. Former Speaker John Boehner passed a few things that way. You can too. Infrastructure might be a start but make sure you don’t give 80% of the funding to the bankers. Or else it’ll backfire.
3. This is a tough one and maybe you can’t. But fire Steve Bannon. He is not helping nor is Kellyanne Conway. Conway can’t even get on Sunday Morning Shows anymore so how can she help? Staff shake ups give a new administration a purpose.
4. Your ideas are all over the place. Most of them are anti science, anti middle class and border on Foreign policy disasters. Pick three positions, stick to them and build coalitions with the Legislature to present them.
5. Let the Russian investigation play out and shut up about it. Unless what they say is true and you can’t.
6. You are the guy now. Have been for 70 days. No one fears you or takes you seriously. There are those who say you are brilliant, but you have proven to be not so smart in articulating what your people need to do. Admit what you don’t know and then learn it. When this country is facing an international crisis, I don’t want you to take the advice of the last or loudest in the room.
7. 40% of the people like what you’re doing.
That means 60% don't like what you are doing or don't care.
You are a numbers guy and should realize you can't bluster or tweet this fact away. You might lie,  Hillary might have lied, but numbers DON'T!
8. If you decide not to heed this advice, then for Christs sakes brief Mike Pence on everything. Much to your chagrin, he’ll need it.