Trump Surprised Government Can't be Run Like His Business

[Frodo]

He's learning Democracy 101 the hard way:

You must be logged in to read this quote.

http://www.politico.com/story/2017/02/donald-trump-challenges-governing-presidency-234879

[Middle-aged Europe]

As I said before, Trump tries to run the country like he ran his business empire. And running a business is apparently a lot like running a dictatorship. But this country isn't a dictatorship. This is why he fails.

Citizens, journalists, judges, and congressmen aren't employees, so you can't treat them like employees. You can't just order them to do things and you can't fire them. You're not their boss, they're your boss.

[EnglishPete]

As I said before, Trump tries to run the government like he ran his business empire. And running a business is apparently a lot like running a dictatorship. This is also why he fails.

Citizens, journalists, judges, and congressmen aren't employees, so you can't treat them like employees. You also can't just fire them. You're not their boss, they're your boss.

However Civil Servants are employees. According to the constitution the executive is solely in the hands of the President and yet because of some rather dubious laws he only has the power to hire and fire about 2% of Federal Civil Servants. This is dubious because it limits his executive authority. The administration has reportedly been studying laws in place in places like Wisconsin that enable all civil servants to be fired at will and if he can expand that 2% to 100% that would be a good start.

Journalists. Trump has spent the best part of the last two years constantly hammering home the message that the liberal legacy media is untrustworthy, dishonest and should be disregarded by people. Looking at the polls that message is getting through as the percentage of Americans who say they trust the media continues to plummet.

Lawmakers and judges are more difficult but there are various ways that he can clips their wings. Breaking up the 9th circuit, expanding the number of judges on the two halves and only appointing conservatives to those vacancies would be a good start.

[Hindsight was 2020]

As I said before, Trump tries to run the government like he ran his business empire. And running a business is apparently a lot like running a dictatorship. This is also why he fails.

Citizens, journalists, judges, and congressmen aren't employees, so you can't treat them like employees. You also can't just fire them. You're not their boss, they're your boss.

However Civil Servants are employees. According to the constitution the executive is solely in the hands of the President and yet because of some rather dubious laws he only has the power to hire and fire about 2% of Federal Civil Servants. This is dubious because it limits his executive authority. The administration has reportedly been studying laws in place in places like Wisconsin that enable all civil servants to be fired at will and if he can expand that 2% to 100% that would be a good start.

Journalists. Trump has spent the best part of the last two years constantly hammering home the message that the liberal legacy media is untrustworthy, dishonest and should be disregarded by people. Looking at the polls that message is getting through as the percentage of Americans who say they trust the media continues to plummet.

Lawmakers and judges are more difficult but there are various ways that he can clips their wings. Breaking up the 9th circuit, expanding the number of judges on the two halves and only appointing conservatives to those vacancies would be a good start.

Yeah dictatorship

[EnglishPete]

Reading an article in the American Spectator it seems that Newt Gingrich has already had an idea

You must be logged in to read this quote.

https://spectator.org/trump-the-9th/

[Okay, maybe Mike Johnson is a competent parliamentarian.]

Someone on my Facebook observed that the "run government like a business" crowd appears to have given up on economizing and turning a profit and graduated to asset-stripping and attempting to sell America to foreign "investors" as a legacy brand.

[Crumpets]

Wow. Such a low-energy President. Sad!

[Absentee Voting Ghost of Ruin]

Trump will be marginalized and ignored after his first 100 days while running a corrupt Harding like administration. At this point...we might as well ignore him like the drunk shouting obscenities on the side of the street

You can't completely ignore the screaming drunk though. You need to keep an eye on him, in case he throws a rock, jumps in front of your car, or assaults a woman walking by.

[Antonio the Sixth]

Maybe one good thing to come out of this disaster of a Presidency will be to kill this "run government like a business" nonsense once and for all.

[EnglishPete]

Reading an article in the American Spectator it seems that Newt Gingrich has already had an idea

You must be logged in to read this quote.

https://spectator.org/trump-the-9th/

Fatass Newt Gingrich was kicked out of Congress and fined for numerous ethics violations. Nobody cares what he thinks

Still its an idea worth considering. Trump certainly needs to do something about the courts. This whole case seems to be based on the idea that constitutional rights to due process an equal protection apply to non US citizens outside the US, which is nonsense and which taken to its logical conclusion would give 7 billion people the right to move to the US.

There are two possible courses of action open to Trump.

1. He can accept that well funded open borders activists are going to go to the courts and find liberal activist judges willing to block and/or slow down every single action he takes to reduce illegal or legal immigration. He can accept that these judges just have the right to sabotage his entire immigration plan. He can accept that the open borders activists will win on this and he will lose. He can accept that activists judges have the right to punch him and he has no right to punch back ten times harder

2. He can take any and every possible step to clip the wings and dilute the influence of left wing judicial activists in the Federal court system and keep doing this until the point where they are no longer able to block or significantly slow down his immigration policies

Knowing Trump which of these courses do you think he will chose

[GoTfan]

Reading an article in the American Spectator it seems that Newt Gingrich has already had an idea

You must be logged in to read this quote.

https://spectator.org/trump-the-9th/

Fatass Newt Gingrich was kicked out of Congress and fined for numerous ethics violations. Nobody cares what he thinks

Still its an idea worth considering. Trump certainly needs to do something about the courts. This whole case seems to be based on the idea that constitutional rights to due process an equal protection apply to non US citizens outside the US, which is nonsense and which taken to its logical conclusion would give 7 billion people the right to move to the US.

There are two possible courses of action open to Trump.

1. He can accept that well funded open borders activists are going to go to the courts and find liberal activist judges willing to block and/or slow down every single action he takes to reduce illegal or legal immigration. He can accept that these judges just have the right to sabotage his entire immigration plan. He can accept that the open borders activists will win on this and he will lose. He can accept that activists judges have the right to punch him and he has no right to punch back ten times harder

2. He can take any and every possible step to clip the wings and dilute the influence of left wing judicial activists in the Federal court system and keep doing this until the point where they are no longer able to block or significantly slow down his immigration policies

Knowing Trump which of these courses do you think he will chose

So basically you're suggesting that he wipe out the system of checks and balances?

[Virginiá]

So basically you're suggesting that he wipe out the system of checks and balances?

It's pretty sad. If some of these people got their way, this country would be a dystopian hellhole. They are less concerned with the integrity of the system than they are with getting all their policy wishes fulfilled.

I also love this ongoing idea that it's only liberal/Democrat-appointed judges that are "activists", and that the judiciary is only a problem when it is GOP policies and GOP presidents being hindered. Basically, judge makes ruling they don't like = activist!!!

[Tartarus Sauce]

Literally none of this surprises me. It was clear from the start he didn't understand how government works and that his narcissistic temperament, political inexperience, history of deferring detailed decision making to opaque and insular circles of close-handed advisers, and comfort in the idea of being "the boss" were going to clash with the realities of the responsibilities of the executive office which he wasn't ready to take on.

[Hermit For Peace]

Literally none of this surprises me. It was clear from the start he didn't understand how government works and that his narcissistic temperament, political inexperience, history of deferring detailed decision making to opaque and insular circles of close-handed advisers, and comfort in the idea of being "the boss" were going to clash with the realities of the responsibilities of the executive office which he wasn't ready to take on.

I agree...but...hopefully this dog can learn a few new tricks, yes?

Hopefully, in the ensuing 4 years of his reign, he does something that is helpful to the country instead of being a complete disaster of a President. I mean, there is this possibility.

As much as I bash Trump, I am still holding out hope for some light inside the dark tunnel we live in at present since his ascendancy to the throne.

[Tartarus Sauce]

Literally none of this surprises me. It was clear from the start he didn't understand how government works and that his narcissistic temperament, political inexperience, history of deferring detailed decision making to opaque and insular circles of close-handed advisers, and comfort in the idea of being "the boss" were going to clash with the realities of the responsibilities of the executive office which he wasn't ready to take on.

I agree...but...hopefully this dog can learn a few new tricks, yes?

Hopefully, in the ensuing 4 years of his reign, he does something that is helpful to the country instead of being a complete disaster of a President. I mean, there is this possibility.

As much as I bash Trump, I am still holding out hope for some light inside the dark tunnel we live in at present since his ascendancy to the throne.

No, not really, this is how he's been his whole life. Narcissistic personality disorder is far too encompassing a character flaw to be cured, although I suppose you could potentially socially re-engineer them under the right circumstances. Suffice to say, new tricks he will not learn; narcissists are highly predictable in their behavior patterns once you learn them. 

The rest of his administration is a different story. If he ends up surrounding himself with more competent and experienced advisers who can more efficiently structure communication flow between departments and officials, more shrewdly craft policy and directives, and more rapidly contain his worst impulses, the better off we'll all be and the less ruin his tenure will inflict. Who he surrounds himself with will be key.

[Meclazine for Israel]

Building a swamp is not easy.

Wait til' he tries to drain the wall.

[Blue3]

So, Trump is having trouble with

1. White House staff
2. Federal bureaucracy
3. Congress
4. Courts
5. Media
6. Protests / Public Opinion
7. Other Countries, including Allies
8. Some businesses in the US bailing on him
9. The intelligence community

So, what's supposed to be his strength again? What else is there to the job of President?

Maybe one good thing to come out of this disaster of a Presidency will be to kill this "run government like a business" nonsense once and for all.

We can only hope.

[EnglishPete]

So, Trump is having trouble with

1. White House staff
2. Federal bureaucracy
3. Congress
4. Courts
5. Media
6. Protests / Public Opinion
7. Other Countries, including Allies
8. Some businesses in the US bailing on him
9. The intelligence community

So, what's supposed to be his strength again? What else is there to the job of President?

Maybe one good thing to come out of this disaster of a Presidency will be to kill this "run government like a business" nonsense once and for all.

We can only hope.

A few points there

2 Some of the federal bureaucracy doesn't like him and is resisting him because his agenda is opposed to their ideological and class interests as the bureaucratic class. (The same is true of 9 and some of the issues with CIA leadership) Once measures are brought in to reestablish his executive authority and expand the proportion of Federal bureaucrats employed at will by the President from 2% to 100% that problem should then become largely soluble

3 The Democrats in Congress are largely opposing him. He's getting on just fine in getting his way with the Republicans who hold majorities in both houses.

4 Liberal activist judges are trying to gum up his actions. That's been covered above

5 Liberal and left wing media oppose him, conservative and right wing media support him

6 You are conflating two things there. His approval rating polling isn't great at the moment but then it wasn't great during the election. Public opinion is strongly divided on the President.

Protests on the other hand are not a reflection of public opinion. Of course you've had the very large 'women's march'. The attendees there are the kind of leftists who would enjoy a big jolly day out virtue signaling that had been organised for them by Democratic supporting  organisations. Such people are not at typical of the public at large and given the infrequency of these kinds of protests not a major problem.

Then you have all the smaller protests using more aggressive tactics like the airport protests. Unlike protests on the right (like anti-abortion activist protests or the Tea party protests) these left wing protests are rarely genuine grassroots efforts and are instead well funded astroturf efforts run by professional establishment funded organisers.

[pbrower2a]

So, Trump is having trouble with

1. White House staff
2. Federal bureaucracy
3. Congress
4. Courts
5. Media
6. Protests / Public Opinion
7. Other Countries, including Allies
8. Some businesses in the US bailing on him
9. The intelligence community

So, what's supposed to be his strength again? What else is there to the job of President?

Maybe one good thing to come out of this disaster of a Presidency will be to kill this "run government like a business" nonsense once and for all.

We can only hope.

A few points there

2 Some of the federal bureaucracy doesn't like him and is resisting him because his agenda is opposed to their ideological and class interests as the bureaucratic class. (The same is true of 9 and some of the issues with CIA leadership) Once measures are brought in to reestablish his executive authority and expand the proportion of Federal bureaucrats employed at will by the President from 2% to 100% that problem should then become largely soluble

3 The Democrats in Congress are largely opposing him. He's getting on just fine in getting his way with the Republicans who hold majorities in both houses.

4 Liberal activist judges are trying to gum up his actions. That's been covered above

5 Liberal and left wing media oppose him, conservative and right wing media support him

6 You are conflating two things there. His approval rating polling isn't great at the moment but then it wasn't great during the election. Public opinion is strongly divided on the President.

Protests on the other hand are not a reflection of public opinion. Of course you've had the very large 'women's march'. The attendees there are the kind of leftists who would enjoy a big jolly day out virtue signaling that had been organised for them by Democratic supporting  organisations. Such people are not at typical of the public at large and given the infrequency of these kinds of protests not a major problem.

Then you have all the smaller protests using more aggressive tactics like the airport protests. Unlike protests on the right (like anti-abortion activist protests or the Tea party protests) these left wing protests are rarely genuine grassroots efforts and are instead well funded astroturf efforts run by professional establishment funded organisers.

It comes down to style. Americans are not accustomed to a President acting like a dictator.  They do not like it. Typically the President tries to reach out to the other side of the partisan divide, but this time he tells people to get in line or get lost because he has all the power.

Because he has nothing in common with the Democrats in office, it is hardly surprising that he gets opposition at every turn. Why shouldn't  an opposition party act in accordance with conscience and respect for precedent?

The President cannot order federal judges around. We have an independent judiciary, one shielded from partisan bickering and not amenable to changes in the way that the wind blows. Just because the President urges the courts to hang offender high is no reason for the courts to decide that such is not cruel and unusual punishment.

Against President Obama, Republicans made an early decision to not cooperate. With President Trump Republicans tell Democrats that unless they sell out their principles and their constituencies to the Trump Administration they have no relevance to the political process. It is hardly surprising that liberals resist. This is an Administration with its own Party in nearly-complete lockstep, one that believes in all power to the economic elites at the expense of all else.         

[The Free North]

Our Republic was designed specifically to stop people like Trump. Its a shame he didnt realize that sooner.

[pbrower2a]

Our Republic was designed specifically to stop people like Trump. Its a shame he didnt realize that sooner.

In a way our system was also designed for people voting on issues other than economic interests and visceral animus. The survival of democracy depends upon people rejecting demagogues, and this time it failed.

I am satisfied that after Trump America will be in the mood for changes in the political system to prevent a President from taking office with less than a plurality of the vote. The last two times that someone got elected with less than a plurality of the vote we got disastrous Presidents.

Ask yourself what the Electoral College really protected this time.

[Frodo]

For those of us who fear creeping fascism, the election of Donald Trump was actually a blessing in disguise.  We were bound to have a right wing populist demagogue as president sooner or later, so we should be glad it came in the form of a bloviating, incompetent, narcissistic buffoon.  Imagine how much more imperiled our republic would be if we had someone like an American version of Vladimir Putin in power.  Someone with razor sharp intelligence, ruthlessness, and a clearly defined plan of action in all its diabolical brilliance and subtlety.

Now our guard is up, and it won't be so easy next time for such a person to take power.

[Hermit For Peace]

It comes down to style. Americans are not accustomed to a President acting like a dictator.  They do not like it. Typically the President tries to reach out to the other side of the partisan divide, but this time he tells people to get in line or get lost because he has all the power.

Because he has nothing in common with the Democrats in office, it is hardly surprising that he gets opposition at every turn. Why shouldn't  an opposition party act in accordance with conscience and respect for precedent?

The President cannot order federal judges around. We have an independent judiciary, one shielded from partisan bickering and not amenable to changes in the way that the wind blows. Just because the President urges the courts to hang offender high is no reason for the courts to decide that such is not cruel and unusual punishment.

Against President Obama, Republicans made an early decision to not cooperate. With President Trump Republicans tell Democrats that unless they sell out their principles and their constituencies to the Trump Administration they have no relevance to the political process. It is hardly surprising that liberals resist. This is an Administration with its own Party in nearly-complete lockstep, one that believes in all power to the economic elites at the expense of all else.         

Great post!

[Hermit For Peace]

For those of us who fear creeping fascism, the election of Donald Trump was actually a blessing in disguise.  We were bound to have a right wing populist demagogue as president sooner or later, so we should be glad it came in the form of a bloviating, incompetent, narcissistic buffoon.  Imagine how much more imperiled our republic would be if we had someone like an American version of Vladimir Putin in power.  Someone with razor sharp intelligence, ruthlessness, and a clearly defined plan of action in all its diabolical brilliance and subtlety.

Now our guard is up, and it won't be so easy next time for such a person to take power.

LOL!