Guy Page: Trump, what has he done?

By Guy Page

Today WDEV talk show host Dave Gram questioned the legitimacy of the Trump presidency (Russian collusion, lost popular vote to Clinton, Electoral College an “anachronism”) and then asked his pro-Trump caller, “tell me what you think Trump has accomplished.”

It was a sincere question. Dave wants to hear from everyone, even those with whom he disagrees. The caller repeated Trump’s best-known success story: low unemployment,  booming economy.

Guy Page is affiliated with the Vermont Energy Partnership, the Vermont Alliance for Ethical Healthcare, and Physicians, Families & Friends for a Better Vermont.

She was right, of course. Trump’s detractors say he’s taking credit for steady economic growth achieved under Obama. That Trump reaps in joy what Obama sowed in tears. The critics are only partly right. Obama didn’t return tax revenue to every American. Obama didn’t liberate industry from over-regulation. Obama didn’t transform America into an energy exporter no longer dependent on cutthroat adversaries like Iran, Venezuela and Russia. Obama didn’t give American workers and employers hope by cutting better trade deals with Canada and Mexico. Obama would never have tried to do any of these things.

In 2017 there were 18.1 million employed African-Americans. By May 2019, there were 19.3 million employed African-Americans. In other words, the Trump economy has put 1.2 million African-Americans to work. Obama took eight years to reach three million. At this rate, Trump should hit three million sometime early in his second term. Given his increased popularity among African-Americans in many recent polls, this achievement has not gone unrecognized, except by his opponents.

Still, economic cycles rise and fall. What goes up must come down. A successful president must do more than just make us wealthier, as much as that matters to real families of all colors who long to seize the brass ring of the American dream. He or she must also create peace abroad and justice at home.

So far, Trump looks like the Peace President. Candidate Trump promised to build the strongest military ever and then use it sparingly. He promised to build our domestic energy industry so that America could relegate oil wars to the dustbin of history where they belong. Critics called him a blowhard warmonger. Yet President Trump has delivered on all three big promises and the result has been peace. Troops under Commander-in-Chief Trump helped trounce ISIS with minimal losses, and the destruction of the “caliphate” continued after the US withdrew. While Obama was president 2,035 American military died in Afghanistan. Since January 2017, the number is less than 50. And the notion that the U.S. will “run out of oil” if we don’t fight for it in the Middle East is now, to use Dave Gram’s word, an “anachronism.”

As for justice – Candidate Trump promised to pick U.S. Supreme Court justices who would independently interpret according to the U.S. Constitution. His critics laughed this off as a lie told by an autocrat who would only appoint bootlickers.

Which turns out not to be the case.

As noted in The Hill, ‘new Justices Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh have surprised court watchers as these conservatives occasionally have forged unlikely alliances with their liberal counterparts on the bench. Gorsuch twice in the court’s final week joined the liberal bloc to strike down criminal statutes, and Kavanaugh recently ruled against in an antitrust case.’

The Hill even went so far as to print an editorial, “Washington owes Supreme Court Justice Neil Gorsuch an apology.”

So, Dave Gram, if I had called into your show today, I would have said that Candidate Trump promised jobs, peace and constitutional justice, and President Trump has delivered all three – so far. Any president who hits memorable, decisive home runs like that can be forgiven his coarse language and stupid tweets. Metaphorically speaking. the night is young. But so far, it bears little resemblance to the predicted Long Dark Night of Fascism.

Guy Page is affiliated with the Vermont Energy Partnership; the Vermont Alliance for Ethical Healthcare; and Physicians, Families and Friends for a Better Vermont.

Image courtesy of Gage Skidmore

8 thoughts on “Guy Page: Trump, what has he done?

  1. Great article. Peace and prosperity…..other follow a hand book for power through division, propaganda and envy.

    Unfortunately Vermont has been taken over by Astro turf organizations and propagandists disguised as news organizations. While the rest of the country enjoys the good fruits of what may turnout to be the best president in U.S. history, we have people fleeing the state, people needlessly suffering due to socialist policies and its first cousin crony capitalism.

    Our little,republic needs the support of freedom loving Vermonters.

  2. You have a head ache? It’s Trump’s fault. You have an ingrown toenail? It’s Trump’s fault. Crabgrass in your Lawn? Trump’s fault. No matter how petty the problem, the anti Trumpers blame them on him Sure, his mannerisms are a put off, BUT look at the bottom line. He’s done more in the 2+ years in office under the most impossible harassing pressure than one could imagine, than the past loser, Prince Obama did in 8 years and he had all the decks stacked in his favor. Even the great Jimmy Carter questions the legitimacy of his presidency. Now there’s a real authority.

  3. Way to go Guy. You stated it like it is. Well done. The liberals don’t want to hear it or recognize it.
    They will give him absolutely no credit whatsoever for anything. Mindless fools.

  4. I would suggest all these history deaf’ndumb imbeciles who talk illegitimacy because he lost the pop vote should just drag their right on out of this Constitutional Republic. If they want to live in a Democracy where popular vote counts then go to one. The forefathers saw fit to realize major population area’s don’t know about WHAT the country needs only what they want/need. The Don has accomplished more in 2 1/2 yrs without ANY help and fight against him by Rino’s Demontwats and the Fake snews. then any other pres. He works for AMERICA not the one world order.

  5. Dave Graham is an anti-Trump radio host. I used to listen to WDEV but they have sold out as well as the rest of the media. Everything is anti-Trump in Vermont. They will elect another liberal/prog just to suffer under more personal and business restrictions, loss of freedom, continue the false racist narrative and the never ending politically correct speech police state. Trump turned the economy around while under intense fake media attacks, Obama did nothing but cast his anti-American agenda trying to fundamentally change our culture and undo our sovereignty as a nation. This state is so radically left that regular people can’t enjoy a parade without activists ruining it. Our High schools have all turned political flying BLM political banners. As the 4th is upon us again we should celebrate the little freedom we have left and hope that people will come to their senses and not allow an elite legislature (with felons) take any more from us. We employ them, they are not our overlords.
    Legalize Freedom!!!!

  6. It’s been pretty obvious the Left hates the President, why, really ??

    The President has brought America back to the Top, low unemployment, economy on the rise, business is returning and Countries know ” he’ll do what he says” and that includes ” Tariffs ”
    not like draw a line and move it, Obama………Chicken S !!.

    Trump is No Politician, he says what he wants and doesn’t care if he offends you or not,
    but the thin-skinned Liberals…… Cry every time….. you got to love it !!

    The left likes to say that Trumps Economy is due to ” Obama”, who had the worst recovery of
    any President ( 2%) after eight years. Black unemployment under Obama should have been
    zero ” Nope ” six percent.

    Trump, with all his baggage, is moving the country in the right direction and this really says it
    all ” We Will Not Be a Socialist Country ” ………How do you like that ” Socialist Sanders ” with
    your Free this Free that BS.

    To Vermont’s Independents, Libertarians, if you want big Government controlling your life
    then ” Socialist DemocRATs ” are for you, make the right decision in 2020….. lean Right.

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