Trump on campaign; Trump in reality

If you voted for Donald Trump, do not read this article. It is a waste of your time. You will not believe it. You will have to wait to experience it for yourself in time. For the rest of us though, reality seems clear enough.

As soon as the stunning news of Trump’s Electoral College victory was announced, the enormity of the event began to sink in, even to him. Not that he would admit it directly, of course.

Suddenly, Trump reversed field on appointing a special prosecutor to look into Hillary Clinton’s use of a private email server as Secretary of State. Not because the president has no power to appoint such a prosecutor, of course. Not because previous intensive investigations turned up only a characterization of the practice as “extremely reckless,” but not criminal. No. Trump decided that Hillary had already “suffered enough,” as if it were up to the president to decide how much pain a citizen should bear. How merciful of him to forego a cause just because it was futile! Never mind “Lock her up!” and “Crooked Hillary” and “You’d be in jail.” That was just something he said to get elected.

Remember that very humane deportation force Trump was going to set up? Well, it turns out that he wants to deport those undocumented people who have committed crimes first and then think about what to do with the non-criminals in a few years, just like Obama’s current policy. Setting up that deportation force was just something he said to get elected.

Now, about that Obamacare that he said he would completely repeal on his first day in office. That is still going to happen, of course, but it will not exactly end on Day One. Congress will probably repeal it then, but the repeal will not be effective for at least a year or so while they work on that beautiful, but lower premium replacement. And you will still be able to cover your children on your policy up to age 26 and you will not be turned down because of any pre-existing conditions. Just like under that terrible, job-killing Obamacare that extended health insurance to millions who were previously uninsured and that has resulted in lower, not higher unemployment rates. Immediately repealing Obamacare was just something he said to get elected.

Now, when he said he would bring back waterboarding of detainees and would go after their families, that was before he selected his new Secretary of Defense. Who knew that “Mad Dog” would be against such changes in policies just because they would be illegal or unconstitutional? Those were just some things he said to get elected.

“Draining the swamp?” Well, so far he has nominated Elaine Chao from the Bush administration and several former Goldman, Sachs officials and Reince Priebus. What an amazing list of outsiders.

And have you heard about his first great success? Carrier had announced that it was sending a thousand or so jobs to Mexico. He said that was unacceptable. So, he and Mike Pence laid it on the line to Carrier and, just like he expected, they caved. As a result, Carrier will only be sending a thousand or so jobs to Mexico and they will be receiving millions of dollars in tax credits from the taxpayers of Indiana, a real win-win thanks to his great bargaining ability. Corporate welfare? No. Job-saving strategic action. Many other companies are lining up to threaten to move jobs out of the US so they can get more great deals like this. You have to admit it, this man knows the art of the deal and how to bargain with these people. You’re welcome, taxpayers of Indiana!

And on it will go. And Trump will call it winning, winning, winning. A few years ago, Ringling Brothers, Barnum &Bailey announced we could see an actual, living unicorn at their circus. Millions of people paid their money to see a goat with its horn buds clumsily and cruelly grafted together. It was living and it had what looked like only one horn. That is the kind of “win” the public will soon find tiresome.

Are you tired of winning yet? Is America getting great yet? Just wait.

John H. Sucke is a resident of Kamuela