Donald Trump’s victory in Tuesday’s presidential election is being called “the greatest political comeback ever,” and it is hard to argue with that statement. The “blue wall” fell, with Trump winning all but one of the seven states that Kamala Harris’ campaign was convinced she would carry on her path to victory.
Oops. No wonder she didn’t have the guts to go in front of her constituents that night and concede. She had probably never seriously considered the possibility that she might lose, so no one had bothered to write her a concession speech. Spontaneous public speaking isn’t exactly her strength. In fact, I’m having a hard time figuring out what her strengths were, other than not being Donald Trump.
Trump’s victory was not one decided by a few hundred votes or a fraction of a percentage. This was an election in which Trump won most of the Blue Wall states by a full one to three percent and is currently leading by 5 percent in both Arizona and Nevada. He also won the popular vote by about five million. That meant pulling a bag of ballots out from under a table or some other Democratic shenanigans weren’t going to be enough to turn the tide.
Will this margin of victory give Trump a mandate and prevent Democrats and the deep state from trying to stop him? Don’t count on it. But a Republican controlled Senate will ease his path, and if the Republicans keep the majority in the House, that should make it easier to pass some of his bigger policies, such as tax relief. So whether this victory may not qualify as a landslide—Reagan beat Mondale 525 to 13, for example—it is still revolutionary.
Revolution via Election
When asked if I think there will be civil war, I have said I think a revolution was more likely. This election was our revolution. Instead of waiting until we got to the cartridge box stage, we threw out the bums using the voting box.
But will that be enough?
I warned before about entrenched bureaucracies and the momentum against Trump within the various government departments. How well Trump overcomes these will have a great deal to do with how successful he is in making his revolution stick. People voted for change, but the massive entity that is the U.S. Federal government—made up of more than 2 million employees—is going to resist change.
I have no doubt Trump has plans for his first day in office, plans to erase many of Biden’s executive orders and replace them with his own. I hope some of his plans involve our least-favorite alphabet agencies, including the ATF, EPA, IRS and the DOJ. Many senior people serve “at the pleasure of the president.” Trump needs to show some displeasure and clean house. Then he needs to reduce the size of many agencies, eliminating layers of bureaucracy and reducing the budget.
President Reagan said “One of my guiding principles has been to reduce the intrusion of the Federal government into the lives of all Americans.” Trump needs to jump on that bandwagon and reduce regulation and agency size, and he needs to act with haste.
Let’s not forget that there will be another congressional election in two years, and another presidential election in four. Trump will need to work quickly if the revolution is to make any lasting progress.
The Juror Box
While a revolution at the ballot box may be preferable to one using the cartridge box, let us not forget the importance of the juror box. Some of the longest-lasting and most beneficial decisions Trump made in his last presidency were his appointments to the Supreme Court. While it has been postulated that Clarence Thomas may resign if Trump wins, allowing Trump to preserve the 6-3 conservative edge, it would surprise me. I don’t see Thomas resigning unless he suffers some health issues. I think he likes his position too much and is too valued a member of the court.
As important as the Supreme Court is, there are lower courts where judges can have an impact on shaping the law before it reaches the Supreme Court. As of September 1, there were 47 vacancies at the District Court level and one appeals court vacancy. With a Republican-controlled Senate, Trump should be able to fill those positions with solid conservative justices. Having right-thinking justices on the lower courts is important not only because they shape the law, but because they are the bench from which future Appeals Court and Supreme Court justices are drawn.
Wait and See
While the Trump victory has created a great deal of excitement among Republicans and conservatives, let’s not forget that there is an equal level of fear, uncertainty and doubt among the left. These are the people who were told that Trump was the second coming of Hitler, and some no doubt believed it.
Now they have to get used to an America where men are no longer allowed to play on girls volleyball teams and people with penises can’t shower in the girls locker room, where shoplifting is once again illegal, where criminals will again have to do time, and where illegal aliens are not given a debit card and free college tuition but are deported. And while this may sound “normal” to most of us, some will be outraged by it and will make their indignation known by marching, burning, looting, and attacking cops and small businesses. So be prepared.
Likewise, we do not know how China or Russia will react. So far, the word “Peace” has come from Zelensky’s mouth, which may be a good sign. On the other hand, Iran may decide to attack Israel before Trump is in a position to do anything about it. This is still a world with many problems, and one man cannot solve them all. Celebrate, but stay prepped.
The Great Unknown
Will American be a better place in four years? We can say it will be a better place under Trump that it would have been under Harris, but can we aim higher? Eighteen months ago, I wrote:
I think I am like most Americans. I want my government to ignore me unless I ask for help. Paying taxes is acceptable as long as I feel I am getting valuable services in return, like national defense and a fair and righteous judicial system. These days, that’s increasingly in doubt.
Mostly, I want to be left alone to do my own thing on my own time and on my own dime. I don’t need the government to tell me if I eat too much meat or burn too much firewood. I don’t want them to tell me how much of my money I can withdraw from the bank at one time or how long the barrel on my rifle can be. No one living in a city who can take a bus or subway to work should tell me I must drive an electric vehicle or prohibit me from owning a gas stove.
The Government needs to recognize the Constitution limits the power of the government, not the people. I want to be able to exercise my rights and to have the country governed by people who have its best interests at heart, not entrenched bureaucrats who are trying to expand their power base by creating and expanding rules and regulations well beyond what Congress intended and the Constitution allows.
That is the standard by which I will judge the next Trump administration.
