By Charles Krauthammer
Trump Is Not A Liberal or Conservative,
he's a "Pragmatist."
(Definition: A pragmatist is someone
who is practical and
focused on reaching a goal.
A pragmatist usually has
a straightforward, matter-of-fact approach
and doesn't let emotion distract him or her.)
"We recently enjoyed a belated holiday dinner
with friends at the home of other friends.
The dinner conversation varied
from discussions about antique glass and China
to theology and politics.
At one point,
reference was made to Donald Trump
being a conservative,
to which I responded that
Trump is not a conservative.
I said that I neither view nor do I believe
that Trump views himself as a conservative.
I stated it was my opinion that Trump is a pragmatist.
He sees a problem
and understands it must be fixed.
He doesn't see the problem as liberal or conservative,
he sees it only as a problem.
That is a quality that should be admired and applauded,
not condemned.
But I get ahead of myself.
Viewing problems from a Liberal perspective has resulted in the creation of more problems, more entitlement programs, more victims, more government,
more political correctness, and more attacks on the working class
in all economic strata.
Viewing things according
to the so-called Republican conservative perspective
has brought continued spending and globalism
to the detriment of American interests and well being,
denial of what the real problems are,
weak, ineffective, milquetoast, leadership
that amounts to Barney Fife Deputy Sheriff,
appeasement oriented
and afraid of its own shadow.
In brief, it has brought liberal ideology
with a pachyderm as a mascot
juxtaposed to the ass of the Democrat Party.
Immigration isn't a Republican problem,
it isn't a Liberal problem,
it is a problem that threatens
the very fabric and infrastructure of America.
It demands a pragmatic approach
not an approach that is
intended to appease one group or another.
The impending collapse of the economy
wasn't a Liberal or Conservative problem,
it is an American problem.
That said,
until it is viewed as a problem that demands a common sense approach
to resolution, it will never be fixed because the Democrats and Republicans know only one way to fix things
and the longevity of their impracticality has proven to have no lasting effect.
Successful businessmen like Donald Trump
find ways to make things work,
they do not promise to accommodate.
Trump uniquely understands that
China's manipulation of currency
is not a Republican problem or a Democrat problem.
It is a problem that threatens our financial stability
and he understands the proper balance needed to fix it.
Here again, successful businessmen, like Trump,
who have weathered the changing tides of economic reality
understand what is necessary to make business work,
and they, unlike both sides of the political aisle,
know that if something doesn't work,
you don't continue trying to make it work
hoping that at some point it will.
As a pragmatist,
Donald Trump hasn't made wild pie-in-the-sky promises
of a cell phone in every pocket,
free college tuition,
and a $ 15-hour minimum wage
for working the drive-through at Carl's Hamburgers.
I argue that America needs pragmatists
because pragmatists see a problem and find ways to fix them.
They do not see a problem
and compound it by creating more problems.
You may not like Donald Trump,
but I suspect that the reason some people do not like him
is because:
(1) he is antithetical to the "good old boy" method
of brokering backroom deals
that fatten the coffers of politicians;
(2) they are unaccustomed
to hearing a president speak
who is unencumbered by the financial shackles
of those who he owes vis-a-vis donations;
(3) he is someone
who is free of idiomatic political ideology;
(4) he says what he is thinking,
is unapologetic for his outspoken thoughts,
speaks very straightforward
using everyday language
that can be understood by all
(and is offensive to some who dislike him anyway)
making him a great communicator,
for the most part,
does what he says he will do
and;
(5) he is someone
who understands that
it takes more than hollow promises
and political correctness
to make America great again.
Listening to Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders
talk about fixing America
is like listening to two lunatics
trying to "out crazy" one another.
Jeb Bush, John Kasich, and Marco Rubio
are owned lock, stock, and barrel
by the bankers, corporations, and big dollar donors
funding their campaigns.
Bush can deny it, but common sense
tells anyone willing to face facts
is that people don't give tens of millions
without expecting something in return.
We have had Democrats and Republican ideologues
and what has it brought us?
Are we better off today or worse off?
Has it happened overnight or
has it been a steady decline
brought on by both parties?
I submit that a pragmatist is just what America needs right now.
People are quick to confuse and despise confidence as
arrogance, but that is common among those who have never accomplished anything in their lives (or politicians who never really solved a problem,
because it’s better to still have an "issue(s) to be solved,"
so re-elect me to solve it, (which never happens)
and those who have always played it safe (again, all politicians)
not willing to risk failure, to try and achieve success).
Donald Trump put his total financial empire at risk
in running for president
and certainly did not need
or possibly even want the job;
that says it all.
He wants success for the U.S.
and her citizens
because he loves his country.
