Remembering Trump

There is historically a natural tension in a democracy between the branches of a shared government.  In the U.S. the House and the Senate, or the Legislature and the Judiciary, for example—it is only reasonable to assume—are engaged in this political tug-a-war which pulls the nation in one direction or the other. In the U.S. it is at times an unseen but powerful war between the White House and the Congress. …and our 45th President was a “fighter.”

The nation is quiet “for now,” or so it appears, since, thanks to the latest election, the occupant of the White House is a docile leader willing to give Congress its due. We sigh in acceptance of Mr. Biden’s administration and enjoy the political quiet that might be more perceived than actual.  But we will take it, as I said, “for now.”

We look back at some presidencies and evaluate their performance in terms of the emergencies of the time: a global conflict, a devastating national poverty, a failing economy, etc.  And more often than not we are thankful that the person in the White House was who it was at the time: FDR during WW2, and who could not appreciate the historical significance of George Washington during our national infancy.

So what of “Trump”? Masses of Americans shouted their love for him! Will he be back for a second term? If I may: I hope not, even though, I am glad he was in the White House when he was. President Trump came to us compliments of a growing national discontent over class tensions misdiagnosed as racial. The nation was hurting but couldn’t identify the source of its pain. President Trump became—what I metaphorically call—the contrast in a bureaucratic MRI that exposed a reality Americans had no idea existed within the body politic. …He exposed a malignant class struggle which is misnamed as racism by those who want to profit by it.

Exposed!? I learned more about government in the last four years than in all the books I read. I even came to recognize voices in the Congress during the recent impeachment trial. What was exposed by President Trump’s Administration? It is a class struggle between Main Street and Wall Street, between fly-over America and the Coastal states, between the stench of greed washed and perfumed as a social concern for the poor and the hope we affectionately call the “American” dream.

So what now?  I called this a political—and a social—malignancy that hopefully is not in some final stage for which the U.S. Constitution has no remedy. We might want to laugh off the idea of China’s economic and military dominance.  We may want to silence the voice of middle America though what they offer the economy is irreplaceable and essential to our national well-being. We might be just enjoying the peaceful relationship between the press and our aging president who strolls the White House grounds in a mediocre display of calm.

But there is a presidency to “fight” for, because there is a nation, our nation, that needs his /her spunk, her/his strength of character and vision, to lead us into a good future. We need to get the cancer, the class struggle, that is not American, by any definition, out of our system.

Okay.  I’ll say it!  We need the Church, a church on its knees and promoting the message of the Cross.  Senator Swalwell was more on point than he knew when He confused Calvary with cavalry.  We do need to raise the Christian banner of the former without calling out the later.

I am thankful that there was a President Trump.  There!  I said that, too!