Well, it depends what you're trying to determine. If the question is "were we right to vote for this guy over the alternative", then it is perfectly fair to compare his actions to reasonable projections of what Hillary might have done. For example, I don't think she's likely to have made any of the three nominations/appointments Trump has made so far. We'd have been far more likely to have gotten another term of Loretta Lynch than a first term of Jeff Sessions.
But if the question is "does this guy deserve to be supported if he runs again", then I still don't think the proper question is fulfillment of promises, because I didn't support some of his promises, so I hope they aren't fulfilled. I mean, is it seriously fair to downgrade him because he didn't follow-through on a campaign promise you didn't support anyway?
Truth is, the "reelection" metric will be as variable as are each of our own individual views. The more you like what he does, the better. I don't really see how keeping score on "promises kept" alone makes sense unless you supported every single one of those promises.
Maj. Bill, there are three real and somewhat approaching consistent standards by which he may be measured.
No. 1:
That which he does compared to what was expected of Hillary.Not real consistent, because everyone has their own take on the potential for a horrorshow that is Hillary Clinton. So, depending on your fear of Hillary, trump gunning down schoolchildren on 5th Avenue might be an improvement...
No. 2:
The set of Conservative (with a capital 'C') standards across all the hyphenations of Conservative, a set of principles predicated on smaller government, Constitutional compliance, fiscal responsibility, the rule of law, and moral uprightness. Needless to say, Trump's ardent supporters will cry "Foul!!" and blame all that on being #nevertrump, yadda yadda yadda, and say it is just because we never liked him in the first place. While the latter would be true (the part about not liking him), the obvious objections are that we would in no wise be fair out of some claimed "hatred". Not only is that summarily unfair, it creates problems when assessing his actions, and even more infighting. If the Democrats get their feces consolidated and come up with a likable candidate with low negatives (among Democrats) who can energize their base (compared to the dismal turnout this past time), getting elected to a second term will be problematical unless the squabbling and backbiting stops.
So, let's just not go there. We'll maintain our principles and standards, they'll still be in play next time, but for now, these are the cards we have been dealt. Attempting to move forward is hard enough without being swarmed with the trollery of the EVERtrump faction over our standards, more, again, ad infinitum. Not only is that expenditure of energy tedious, it's counterproductive, and it won't change what is going on in Washington, good or bad.
I agree there are things Trump promised that I don't want to see become law or policy. That is part of why I could not, in good conscience, support him. (As a preemptive strike, no, I didn't support that felonious b'tch either, and I'm bloody tired of hearing the two-bit Svengalis fail at mind reading, so I thought I'd just get that out.)
No. 3:
The only inarguable standard that exists is the set of promises Donald Trump made to his supporters on the campaign trail. Those were
his words, those were
his promises, those were the statements which convinced all but those who quailed in terror of Hillary to vote for him.
Those are the standards he set for himself. Using those isn't a matter of whether I supported him or not. It isn't a matter of what Hillary might have done given the opportunity. Instead, it is what he said he'd do.
There is your unbiased scorecard, and the only unbiased metric by which his progress may be measured. I'm content to use that to keep score.Obviously, if he does something unConstitutional, something stupid, or something patently illegal or immoral, I'll weigh in on that, too. That, after all is my Right, as an American Citizen, and I'll damn sure exercise that. But the real scorecard is written in his own promises, not my expectations, nor a comparison to my expectations of the defeated Democrat.
