Last night, President Trump delivered a memorable speech to a joint session of Congress that even reluctant commentators compared to Reagan, and others said was one of the finest ever delivered. Chris Wallace went so far as to say that "tonight, Donald Trump became President of the United States." It was a fantastic speech. One of the best--maybe the best--I've ever seen. But, it wasn't a traditional Republican speech. It was better. It had a higher purpose than partisanship. It came from a more egalitarian and justice-driven place. Far from the "benefits for the rich, at the expense of the poor" mantle Republicans have unfairly been laden with for years, President Trump's speech was populist, even-handed, non-partisan, and, most of all, purely American.
President Trump lead with a recognition that racism, antisemitism, and racial violence were a horrible blight on our society that must be eradicated. Yet, he later balanced that with the call for all Americans to support our men and women in Blue--the brave police, sheriffs, and other officers that protect us all from the courser elements of our society. He said the Country must "stand united in condemning hate and evil in all of its very ugly forms." Not a controversial stance, and one that the vast majority of Americans would agree with. Yet, surprisingly (or perhaps not), Democratic members of Congress found little to applaud. President Trump called for a "rebirth of hope, safety and opportunity for our inner cities," and stated that government should "focus on the welfare of the American people." Democratic response was tepid, at best, even though many Democrats represent this same constituency. A similar Democratic response was given when President Trump declared that "education is the civil rights issue of our time," and encouraged Congress to allow all American families--black or white, suburban or inner-city--to make an educated decision as to where they would send their children for schooling. A President that dares to face off against the teachers' unions may be shocking to hard-line Democrats, but is a welcome friend to millions of parents with children stuck in failing schools.
President Trump spoke of other universal, non-partisan, goals. He said that "millions lifted from welfare to work is not too much to expect." He said that "our veterans have delivered for this nation and now we must deliver for them." He stated that while he would work to cut wasteful spending in defense budgets, he would also rebuild our military and immediately work to eradicate the brutal scourge that is ISIS. He declared that "the time for small thinking is over." These comments should have garnered Kennedyesque standing ovations . . .
Read more at:
https://www.cameronkinvig.com/single-post/2017/02/28/President-Trump-The-Leader-of-the-Post-Partisan-America-Party
