Working as a volunteer in my state, urge you all to do the same in your state.

I no longer doubt Trump. I don’t know about his grand strategy. I do believe that he has goals; and I suspect that his strategy is to follow the discrete path that he thinks will accomplish each of those goals. We have learned that one key element of his strategy is relentlessness; and that may be the most important element of all.

Trump seems to veer back and forth between a caring, sensitive human, and a buffoon and bully. He irritates me at times; but, I have come to believe that beneath his “New York” bluster there is a genuine person. I also suspect that the public behavior is often governed by what his instincts tell him will achieve a particular goal.

Pleasant personal moment today. Took wife to a plastic surgeon because she has developed a growth on her face that is unsightly and physically irritating. Surgeon was a charming young man from Tennessee; who came out here from DC. He was overdressed by California professional standards in a blazer and open neck shirt. I noticed that the liner of his jacket was a pattern similar to the American flag. He said the “suit” was made when he was in DC, and he just thought it would make a nice touch. Claims he gets no hateful looks in California; only surprise that he dresses so formally.

No doubt the author missed plenty. But he noticed a lot nevertheless, and I appreciate the effort he made to be fair.
* * *
A person cannot overcome a lifetime of bias in one article.
We hope he will continue to keep looking.

Some of these articles might help convince him that the crack in his cognitive world-view is opening him up to reality.

https://www.foxnews.com/opinion/marc-thiessen-trump-could-be-the-most-honest-president-in-modern-history

https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/washington-secrets/trumps-list-289-accomplishments-in-just-20-months-relentless-promise-keeping

https://warontherocks.com/2018/10/trump-and-the-end-of-smugness/?fbclid=IwAR27dOa4gTbip0vrNnOYUxnZVS-Jd7Pf86YPy0QXg-SD8EaOXfDOfn5U5Jw

He knows where he wants to go and uses both the carrot and the stick because desire and fear are humanity’s primary emotional motivators.

And when you want to get people to move and effect change, emotion driven motivators count for more than intellectual contemplation.

The Obama plan called for prominent NeverTrump Republicans to try and forestall a Trump victory or — God forbid! — a Trump inauguration by throwing the election to Clinton based on claims — and, no, I swear I’m not plagiarizing The Onion — that Russia had interfered on behalf of Trump. This Russia Hoax narrative had already been floated among some NeverTrump Republicans, and they liked this “bipartisan” approach — they would provide the cover needed for a coup. Planning had already gotten so far that Obama had directed his staff to develop an action plan for the event of a Hillary loss — the rejection of continued Progressive rule would be “historically unprecedented (in their minds) and thus invalid.

As to Trump and strategy, I think the author, neo, and commenters are not all on the same meaning of what is strategy, what are tactics, and what are plans. I think Trump has shown himself excellent on tactics. I don’t know how much of strategy and plans are intuitive according to personal principles (which isn’t a bad thing) and how much is overarching specific goals.

In a time of universal deceit — telling the truth is a revolutionary act.

(Probably) Orwell

No doubt the author missed plenty. But he noticed a lot nevertheless, and I appreciate the effort he made to be fair.